Eylea
Eylea (aflibercept) is used for certain eye conditions related to the retina (a layer of cells in the back of the eye) for both adults and premature babies. It's typically injected into the eye by an eye specialist. Eylea (aflibercept) is only available at specialty pharmacies or distributors, so a provider will help you set that up.
What is Eylea (aflibercept)?
What is Eylea (aflibercept) used for?
How Eylea (aflibercept) works
Eylea (aflibercept) is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor. It blocks VEGF, a protein that makes new blood vessels in the body. When there's too much of these proteins in the eye, it creates new, weak blood vessels which leak fluid into the back of the eye.
By blocking VEGF proteins from working, Eylea (aflibercept) slows the growth of additional blood vessels to lessen the amount of fluid leaking in the eye. So it helps to lower the risk of vision loss in different eye conditions.
Drug Facts
What are the side effects of Eylea (aflibercept)?
Common Side Effects
- Blood spots on the whites of eye (12-31%)
- Cataract (Up to 19%)
- Eye pain (9-13%)
- Raised eye pressure (2-9%)
- Greater amount of eye floaters (1-8%)
- Blood spots on the whites of the eye (5-9%)
- Retinal detachment (5-6%)
- Raised eye pressure (0-4%)
Other Side Effects
- Eye redness and swelling
- Injection site pain or bleeding
- Feels like something is in the eye
- Watery eyes
- Blurry vision
- Eyelid swelling
- Sudden loss of vision
Serious Side Effects
- Eye infection (endophthalmitis): eye pain, sensitivity to light, loss of vision, eye redness
- Separation of the retina from the back of the eye (retinal detachment): flashing lights, feeling like something is covering your vision, changes in your vision, or vision loss, seeing floaters
Source: DailyMed
The following side effects have also been reported
Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:
More common
Blindness
bloody eye
blurred vision
eye or eyelid redness
seeing flashes, sparks of light, or a veil or curtain
seeing floating spots before the eyes
vision changes
Rare
Fast heartbeat
headache
hives, itching, rash, or skin redness
hoarseness
irritation
joint pain, stiffness, or swelling
swelling of the eye, face, lips, hands, or feet
tightness in the chest
troubled breathing or swallowing
Incidence not known
Pain in the chest, groin, or legs, especially the calves
severe, sudden headache
slurred speech
sudden loss of coordination
sudden, severe weakness or numbness in the arm or leg
Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common
Feeling like something is in the eye
watery eyes
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Pros and cons of Eylea (aflibercept)
Pros
Can help with multiple eye conditions related to the retina
Typically needs to be injected once every 1 to 2 months for adults, so it's convenient for people with a busy schedule
Offers another treatment option for babies with ROP aside from laser treatment
Cons
Not a safe option for people with history of blood clots (e.g., stroke, heart attack)
Injection into the eye can lead to greater risk of eye infection or injury
Might not be a safe option for people with uncontrolled high eye pressure (e.g., glaucoma)
Pharmacist tips for Eylea (aflibercept)
You will typically receive Eylea (aflibercept) at the eye specialist's office. This medication needs to be given by a healthcare provider with the right tools and technique to lower the risk of eye infection.
It's best to get your Eylea (aflibercept) injection regularly according to your provider's treatment plan. If you missed an injection, talk with your provider right away about rescheduling your appointment.
Before receiving Eylea (aflibercept), the provider will give you a numbing medication to ease the pain and discomfort from the procedure. They will also give a topical antibiotic to prevent infection beforehand.
Plan for some extra time after the appointment, the provider will need to check your eye pressure after the procedure. This is because Eylea (aflibercept) can temporarily raise the eye pressure. By getting eye pressure checked, your provider can continue to make sure this medication is safe to use.
Consider wearing sunglasses after your Eylea (aflibercept) injection since your eyes might be more sensitive to light.
Don't drive a car or operate machinery until you know how Eylea (aflibercept) affects you because it can cause temporary visual changes. Instead, arrange for someone to drive you to and from your eye appointment.
Because certain eye problems can get worse over time, it's important that you check your vision in between Eylea (aflibercept) injections. Your provider should discuss with you the best way to monitor your vision.
Tell the provider right away if you experiences eye pain, eye redness, blurry vision, or sensitivity to bright light after receiving Eylea (aflibercept). This is because it can sometimes cause severe eye problems, such as serious eye infection or damage.
Children who receive Eylea (aflibercept) for ROP might need more than one injection of this medication, as well as regular monitoring of eye symptoms. This is because abnormal blood vessels can grow in the retina even after treatment with Eylea (aflibercept), which can worsen ROP.
Frequently asked questions about Eylea (aflibercept)
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What are the risks and warnings for Eylea (aflibercept)?
Eylea (aflibercept) can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Eye infection and damage
Very rarely, eye injections, such as Eylea (aflibercept), can lead to endophthalmitis (infection of the tissues or fluids inside the eyeball) or detached retina (when the retina pulls away from the back of the eye). This can sometimes happen when the eye gets contaminated or infected during the injection. Your or your child's healthcare provider might provide a topical antibiotic beforehand to lower the risk of infection. They will also have the proper techniques and tools to lower the risk of contamination during the procedure. Make sure to follow up with the provider after your or your child's appointment to monitor for any visual changes. If your or your child's eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or develops a change in vision, let the provider know right away.
Higher eye pressure
Risk factor: Regular injections of Eylea (aflibercept)
People who receive Eylea (aflibercept) can sometimes experience higher eye pressure because there's more fluid in the eye due to the injection. This is usually temporary and typically happens within an hour after the injection. The risk is higher in people who get regular eye injections. You or your child will need to get eye pressure checked each time after receiving Eylea (aflibercept) so the provider can make sure this medication continues to be safe. If you or your child experiences intense eye pain, nausea, red eye, and blurry vision after receiving Eylea (aflibercept), talk with the provider immediately.
Heart attack or stroke
Risk factor: History of heart attack or stroke
Eylea (aflibercept) injections might cause serious blood clot problems, such as heart attack and stroke. Symptoms of a stroke include sudden confusion, severe headache, facial drooping, weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, or trouble walking. Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain that travels to your arm or jaw, sweating, or shortness of breath. If you have symptoms of a stroke or heart attack, get medical help right away.
Eylea (aflibercept) dosage forms
Typical dosing for Eylea (aflibercept)
The dose of Eylea (aflibercept) depends on the condition being treated. In general:
Adults
Wet AMD: The typical starting dose is 2 mg into the eye(s) once a month for 3 months. Afterwards, 2 mg once into the eye(s) every 2 months.
MEfRVO: The typical dose is 2 mg into the eye(s) once a month (about every 25 days).
DR and DME: The typical starting dose is 2 mg into the eye(s) once a month for the first 5 months. Afterwards, 2 mg once into the eye(s) every 2 months.
Children
ROP: The typical dose is one 0.4 mg injection into the eye(s). And if needed, your child might receive another injection 10 days after the first injection.
Interactions between Eylea (aflibercept) and other drugs
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Eylea (aflibercept) contraindications
Infection in or around the eye
Active eye inflammation (e.g., swelling, pain, redness)
What are alternatives to Eylea (aflibercept)?
Neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO)
Myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV)
Diabetic macular edema (DME)
Diabetic retinopathy (DR)
What is the latest news about Eylea (aflibercept)?
Eylea (aflibercept) images
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References
Best studies we foundAmerican Society of Retina Specialists. (n.d.). Age-related macular degeneration.
Boyd, K. (2023). What is macular degeneration? American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Stroke signs and symptoms.
MedlinePlus. (2016). Retinal disorders.
Moraru, A., et al. (2017). Incidence of ocular hypertension after intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents in the treatment of neovascular AMD. Romanian Journal of Ophthalmology.
Mukamal, R. (2020). Comparison of anti-VEGF treatments for wet AMD. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Mukamal, R., et al. (2023). What is endophthalmitis? American Academy of Ophthalmology.
National Eye Institute. (2023). Retinal detachment.
National Eye Institute. (2023). Retinopathy of prematurity.
Penn, J. S., et al. (2008). Vascular endothelial growth factor in eye disease. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (n.d.). About eye conditions that affect the retina.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (n.d.). Appointment & treatment tips.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (n.d.). Eylea helps prevent the progression of diabetic retinopathy.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (n.d.). If you have wet AMD—Take control of your sight with Eylea.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2020). Amsler grid.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (2023). Eylea- aflibercept injection, solution [package insert]. DailyMed.
Sachdeva, M. M., et al. (2016). Endophthalmitis following intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF agents: long-term outcomes and the identification of unusual micro-organisms. The Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection.
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