Bevacizumab vs Pembrolizumab: side effects in FDA adverse event reports
At a glance
| Bevacizumab | Pembrolizumab | |
|---|---|---|
| Drug class | Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Inhibitor | Programmed Death Receptor-1 Blocking Antibody |
| Brand names | Avastin | Keytruda |
| FAERS reports | 123,107 | 104,591 |
| Serious | 91% | 87% |
| Death outcome | 28,193 | 18,742 |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
Signals both drugs share
| Reaction | Bevacizumab | Pembrolizumab | Label screen (A / B) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urogenital fistula | 68 · PRR 69.7 | 62 · PRR 72.2 | Not in label — unassessed / Not in label — unassessed |
Labeled signals distinctive to Bevacizumab
- Proteinuria — n=3,066, PRR 33.0 Labeled adverse reaction
- Gastrointestinal perforation — n=1,090, PRR 60.5 Labeled adverse reaction
- Suspected transmission of an infectious agent via product — n=505, PRR 118.3 Labeled (related wording)
- Tumour haemorrhage — n=349, PRR 23.7 Labeled (related wording)
- Oesophageal varices haemorrhage — n=290, PRR 26.1 Labeled adverse reaction
- Small intestinal perforation — n=259, PRR 27.1 Labeled (related wording)
- Tumour necrosis — n=194, PRR 38.4 Labeled (related wording)
- Radiation necrosis — n=155, PRR 63.6 Labeled (related wording)
Labeled signals distinctive to Pembrolizumab
- Immune-mediated enterocolitis — n=1,091, PRR 89.9 Labeled (related wording)
- Immune-mediated hepatic disorder — n=1,022, PRR 232.6 Labeled (related wording)
- Immune-mediated adverse reaction — n=831, PRR 267.7 Labeled adverse reaction
- Immune-mediated myocarditis — n=734, PRR 184.0 Labeled (related wording)
- Immune-mediated hepatitis — n=693, PRR 109.6 Labeled adverse reaction
- Immune-mediated hypothyroidism — n=664, PRR 329.2 Labeled (related wording)
- Immune-mediated lung disease — n=646, PRR 117.8 Labeled adverse reaction
- Immune-mediated dermatitis — n=453, PRR 189.3 Labeled (related wording)
Common questions
Which has more reported side effects, Bevacizumab or Pembrolizumab?
Bevacizumab has 123,107 FAERS reports and Pembrolizumab 104,591. More reports does not mean more dangerous: volume follows how widely and how long a drug has been used, prescription vs over-the-counter status, and publicity. The seriousness share (91% vs 87%) is a better like-for-like signal of the kind of problems reported.
Which side effects do Bevacizumab and Pembrolizumab share?
Both drugs carry disproportionality signals for urogenital fistula. Shared signals often reflect a shared drug class or the condition both are used for.
Is Bevacizumab or Pembrolizumab safer?
FAERS cannot answer that: it has no denominator and no comparator. Use this page to see which risks are already on each label and which signals are unlabeled, then check the prescribing information and your clinician for your situation.
Sources: openFDA FAERS pair statistics (OpenPV build 2026-09-14), FDA labels via openFDA, openFDA count queries for seriousness and deaths. Pair chosen because it is a commonly searched comparison. Generated 2026-10-08.