Determination of the molecular stability of bevacizumab (Avastin) by Raman spectroscopy

Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor type A, which is used as an anti-angiogenic in metastatic colorectal cancer, lung, kidney and breast cancer among other diseases. In ophthalmology it is used in very small amounts, therefore the stability and effectiveness of the drug over time becomes an issue. In this study the molecular stability of bevacizumab is determined using Raman spectroscopy as a function of the storage technique used. The results show that when the substance is stored in vials it keeps its molecular structure after four weeks of storage and when stored in syringes a constant degradation of its molecular structure occurs. These results indicate that for ophtalmic purposes bevacizumab can be stored in vials up to four weeks without any degradation of its molecular structure as seen by Raman spectroscopy. This study also shows that Raman spectroscopy can be a valuable tool to determine the integrity and molecular stability of clinical drugs. © 2012 - IOS Press and the authors.

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