Eylea (aflibercept) is a biologic drug prescribed to help prevent vision loss in certain situations. It’s a liquid solution given by healthcare professionals as an injection into the eye.

Eylea is specifically used in adults to slow down the progression of vision loss from:

Eylea is also used to treat retinopathy of prematurity, an eye condition that may occur in infants born prematurely or under a certain weight.

To learn more about how Eylea can helps treat these conditions, see the “What is Eylea used for?” section.

Eylea basics

Eylea contains the active ingredient aflibercept. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) It belongs to a group of drugs called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors.

Aflibercept is a biologic medication, which means it’s made from parts of living cells.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several biosimilars for aflibercept, but these may not yet be available. Examples include aflibercept-jbvs (Yesafili) and aflibercept-ayyh (Pabvlu). (Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.)

Note: Eylea is available in a version that contains a longer-acting form of aflibercept. It’s called Eylea HD and is also a liquid solution given as an injection into the eye. The FDA has approved Eylea HD for wet AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic macular edema.

This article focuses only on Eylea. To learn more about Eylea HD, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Like most drugs, Eylea may cause mild or serious side effects. The lists that follow describe some of the more common side effects that Eylea may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

  • your age
  • other health conditions you have
  • other medications you may be taking

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Eylea as well as suggest ways to help reduce side effects.

Mild side effects

Here’s a short list of some of the mild side effects that Eylea can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Eylea’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Eylea that have been reported include:

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* For more information on this side effect, see the “Side effect focus” section.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Eylea can occur, but they typically aren’t common. (An exception in the list is cataracts, which was one of the more commonly reported side effects of Eylea.)

If you have serious side effects from Eylea, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Eylea that have been reported include:

  • retinal tear and detachment, which happens when your retina detaches from the back of your eye
  • endophthalmitis, which is an infection of the fluids or tissues inside your eye
  • increased pressure in your eye
  • heart or blood vessel problems, such as stroke*
  • cataracts, which occur when your lens becomes cloudy and doesn’t let as much light into your eye
  • allergic reaction*
  • retinal vasculitis, which is inflammation of the retina’s blood vessels, with or without blood vessel blockage?

* For more information on this side effect, see the “Side effect focus” section.
? Though this side effect wasn’t reported in studies of Eylea, reports of this side effect did occur after the drug became available.

Side effect focus

Learn more about some of the side effects Eylea may cause.

Heart or blood vessel problems, such as stroke

After receiving an Eylea injection, you may have a risk of blood clots. Blood clots can sometimes cause stroke, heart attack, or a lack of blood flow to certain areas of the body.

In studies, these side effects weren’t common in people using Eylea.

What might help

Before starting Eylea treatment, discuss the risks of blood clots and symptoms of heart attack and stroke with your doctor.

For example, heart attack symptoms can include:

  • pain or discomfort in your chest
  • feeling weak, lightheaded, or faint
  • breaking out in a cold sweat
  • pain or discomfort in your jaw, neck, back, or one or both of your arms
  • shortness of breath

Stroke symptoms can occur suddenly and may include:

  • numbness or weakness in your face, arm, or leg, usually occurring on one side of the body
  • confusion, or difficulty speaking or understanding speech
  • problems with seeing in one or both of your eyes
  • difficulty walking
  • dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination
  • severe headache

If you have any of these symptoms after receiving Eylea, seek emergency medical care right away. Call 911 or your local emergency number. Or have someone take you to the nearest emergency room.

Seeing floaters

After receiving Eylea, you may have squiggly lines or small dark spots in your vision. These lines and spots float across your vision, so they’re called floaters.

Often, floaters disappear after a while. And they don’t usually affect your vision.

But sometimes, floaters can be a sign of a serious eye condition such as a retinal tear or detachment. (With retinal detachment, your retina detaches from the back of your eye.) These conditions are possible side effects of Eylea.

What might help

Most often, floaters don’t require treatment. They’ll usually disappear on their own.

Tell your doctor if you have symptoms that may suggest a more serious eye condition. Symptoms of a retinal tear or detachment can include:

  • having a lot of new floaters that appear suddenly
  • seeing flashes of light that appear suddenly
  • seeing a dark shadow
  • having blurred vision

Blurry vision

After receiving an Eylea injection, you can have blurry vision. This side effect may disappear after a while. But blurry vision can also be a symptom of endophthalmitis, which is a possible serious side effect of Eylea.

With endophthalmitis, you have a severe infection in the gel-like material inside the center of your eye.

What might help

To be safe, don’t drive after receiving an Eylea injection. Only drive or use machinery when your vision is no longer blurry.

Be sure to tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of endophthalmitis. In addition to blurry vision, symptoms may include:

  • eye pain
  • eye redness
  • sensitivity to light

If you have an infection in your eye, your doctor will treat it as needed. And be sure to tell your doctor if you have blurry vision that doesn’t go away after getting Eylea injections.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Eylea. If you’ve had an allergic reaction in the past to aflibercept (the active ingredient in Eylea) or any of the other ingredients in Eylea, you cannot use this medication.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

  • skin rash
  • itchiness
  • flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, typically in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. Allergic reaction can also cause severe inflammation in the eye. In addition, it can result in swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause difficulty breathing.

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Eylea. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Costs of prescription drugs can vary depending on many factors. These factors include what your insurance plan covers and whether you get the drug from a pharmacy or it’s administered by your doctor.

If you have questions about the cost of your Eylea prescription and how to pay for it, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You can also visit the Eylea manufacturer’s website to see whether it has support options that you’re eligible for.

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Eylea.

Is Eylea similar to either Avastin or Lucentis?

Eylea, Avastin, and Lucentis all belong to a group of drugs called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. But they don’t all have the same uses.

Lucentis is used for eye conditions similar to those of Eylea. And like Eylea, it’s also given as an intravitreal injection, which is an injection into the eye.

Avastin, on the other hand, is used for certain types of cancer, such as kidney cancer and colon cancer. Avastin may sometimes be considered for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But AMD is an off-label use for Avastin. With off-label use, a drug that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved to treat one condition is prescribed for another condition the FDA has not approved.

For certain types of cancer, Avastin is usually administered by intravenous (IV) infusion, which is an injection into a vein given over a period of time. But for treatment of eye conditions, it’s given as an injection into the eye.

Eylea, Avastin, and Lucentis all block VEGF. At high levels, VEGF can cause abnormal blood vessels to grow in your eye and result in fluid leakage. By blocking VEGF, these drugs can decrease fluid leakage into your macula, which is the center of your retina.

What’s the success rate of treatment with Eylea?

Success rates with Eylea treatment can be different for each person and for each eye condition that’s being treated.

For example, in studies of Eylea, more people with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) had their vision preserved than people with macular edema. (For more information about wet AMD and macular edema, see the “What is Eylea used for?” section.)

Talk with your doctor to find out Eylea’s possible success rate for your condition.

How does Eylea work?

Eylea works by blocking the process that causes blood vessels to leak in the back of your eye. The drug also prevents new blood vessels from forming around your retina. (Your retina is located in the back of your eye and is responsible for sensing light.)

Keep in mind that Eylea doesn’t cure eye conditions, including wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). But the drug can slow down the progression of AMD and other conditions, and help you keep your vision.

How long does Eylea stay in your system?

Eylea can stay in your system for about a month.

Eylea HD is a version of Eylea that contains a longer-lasting injectable form of aflibercept. This means that if your doctor prescribes Eylea HD, you’ll receive injections less frequently than with Eylea.

Note that Eylea HD is not approved to treat all of the same conditions as Eylea, and the two forms are not interchangeable. Your doctor can tell you more about Eylea HD and whether it’s right for you.

If you have questions about how long Eylea stays in your system, talk with your doctor.

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Eylea that’s right for you. This section describes commonly used dosages, but the dosage you receive will be determined by your doctor.

Forms and strength

Eylea comes as a solution inside single-use vials and prefilled syringes. It’s available in one strength: 2 milligrams (mg) per 0.05 milliliters (mL).

Recommended dosages

Depending on why you’re receiving Eylea, your doctor will prescribe an appropriate dosing schedule for you. The recommended dose for each injection will be 2 mg/0.05 mL.

For example, if you have:

  • Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), you’ll receive an Eylea injection in your eye once every 4 weeks (about every 28 days) for the first 3 months of treatment. Then your doctor may recommend that you get a dose once every 8 weeks. But some people may need to stay on a 4-week dosing schedule. After a year of treatment, your doctor may change your dosing schedule to receiving the drug once every 12 weeks.
  • Diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema, you’ll start Eylea treatment with an injection in your eye once every 4 weeks for the first 5 months. Then your doctor may recommend that you get an injection once every 4 or 8 weeks.
  • Macular edema that’s caused by a vein blockage, you’ll receive one Eylea injection in your eye once every 4 weeks.

An Infant being treated for retinopathy of prematurity will have one injection of 0.4 mg/0.01 mL in the affected eye. Their doctor will monitor their condition closely afterward. Treatment may be given to both eyes on the same day as needed. The doctor may recommend additional injections.

For more information about the conditions Eylea is used to treat, see the “What is Eylea used for?” section.

Questions about Eylea’s dosing

Here are some common questions about Eylea’s dosing.

  • What if I miss a dose of Eylea? It’s important that you don’t miss any doses of Eylea. If you miss an appointment with your doctor to get your dose of the drug, call your doctor’s office right away. Their medical staff can help you reschedule your appointment. Keep in mind that stopping Eylea treatment may cause your eye condition to get worse.
  • Will I need to use Eylea long term? The conditions that Eylea treats are long-lasting diseases and may require long-term use of Eylea. (The exception is retinopathy of prematurity, which may get better after just one dose of Eylea.) Ask your doctor how long you’ll need to use Eylea.
  • Should I take Eylea with food? Eylea is injected into your eye. So how well your body absorbs the drug isn’t affected by eating. You can receive Eylea injections on either a full or empty stomach.
  • How long does Eylea take to work? Every person will respond differently to Eylea treatment. Ask your doctor how long you’ll need to wait before the treatment starts working for you. Your doctor will monitor your vision throughout your treatment. You can also monitor your vision at home using the Amsler grid test.

Your doctor will explain how you’ll be given Eylea. They’ll also explain how much you’ll be given and how often. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions for receiving doses of Eylea.

Receiving Eylea

Eylea comes as a solution inside single-use vials and prefilled syringes. Your doctor will give Eylea to you as an intravitreal injection, which is an injection into your eye.

Receiving Eylea with other drugs

Before injecting Eylea into your eye, your doctor will give you medications to numb pain and prevent infection.

Talk with your doctor about which drugs they’ll use for these purposes.

Questions for your doctor

You may have questions about Eylea and your treatment plan. It’s important to discuss all your concerns with your doctor.

Here are a few tips that might help guide your discussion:

  • Before your appointment, write down questions like:
    • How will Eylea affect my body, mood, or lifestyle?
  • Bring someone with you to your appointment if doing so will help you feel more comfortable.
  • If you don’t understand something related to your condition or treatment, ask your doctor to explain it to you.

Remember, your doctor and other healthcare professionals are available to help you. And they want you to get the best care possible. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions or offer feedback on your treatment.

If you have certain eye problems, your doctor may prescribe Eylea to help prevent loss of your vision.

Eylea is used in adults to slow down the progression of vision loss from the following conditions:

  • Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD): Wet AMD occurs in older adults. It affects the central part of your visual field. With this condition, it’s possible to lose your vision due to damage to your macula. The macula is the center part of your retina, which is an area in the back of your eye that senses light.
  • Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema: Diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema are two conditions that occur in people with diabetes. With these conditions, fluid and blood leak from damaged blood vessels into your retina or macula and cause swelling. This can destroy the cells in those areas and affect your vision.
  • Macular edema after retinal vein blockage: With macular edema, fluid and blood leak into your macula and cause swelling. And this can affect your vision. This condition can happen when a vein in your eye is blocked, which often occurs because of a blood clot. There are two types of vein blockages that can occur:
    • central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), which happens when your central retinal vein is blocked
    • branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), which happens when a branch of the central vein is blocked

Eylea is used in infants for the following condition:

  • Retinopathy of prematurity: Retinopathy of prematurity is an eye condition that may occur in infants born prematurely or under a certain weight. With this condition, abnormal blood vessels grow in the infant’s retina. If left untreated, the retina could become damaged, which may lead to vision loss or even blindness.

Aflibercept, the active ingredient in Eylea, is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) VEGF is a protein that’s responsible for causing leaky blood vessels and helping to develop new blood vessels inside the eye.

Eylea targets VEGF and blocks its actions on blood vessels. This helps to slow down abnormal blood vessel growth and vision loss from the conditions listed previously.

Some important things to discuss with your doctor when considering treatment with Eylea include:

  • your overall health
  • any medical conditions you may have

Also, be sure to tell your doctor if you’re taking any medications, herbs, vitamins, or supplements.

Interactions

Taking medications, vaccines, foods, and other things with a certain drug can affect how the drug works. These effects are called interactions.

Drug interactions aren’t expected with Eylea. And it’s not known which drugs interact with Eylea. But it’s still important to tell your doctor about any medications, herbs, or vitamins you’re using. This is because some of these products may interfere with how well Eylea works.

Before starting Eylea, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Eylea.

Warnings

Eylea may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Talk with your doctor about your health history before you start Eylea treatment. Factors to consider include those in the following list:

  • infection in or around your eye
  • inflammation in your eye
  • previous allergic reaction to Eylea or any of its ingredients
  • glaucoma
  • heart disease or other risk factors for heart attack or stroke

Use with alcohol

Some medications interact with alcohol. But Eylea isn’t one of them.

If you drink alcohol, before starting Eylea, ask your doctor or pharmacist if it’s safe for you to drink alcohol.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It’s unknown whether Eylea is harmful if used during pregnancy. It’s also unknown whether Eylea passes into breast milk and would be harmful to a child who is breastfed.

Talk with your doctor about pregnancy and breastfeeding if you’re considering treatment with Eylea.

If you have questions about using Eylea, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may tell you about other treatments you can use for your condition.

Some possible questions to ask your doctor about Eylea treatment include:

  • Will Eylea cure my wet age-related macular degeneration?
  • Can I develop glaucoma by using Eylea?
  • If my diabetes were better managed, could the damage to my eyes be reversed?
  • How can I reduce my anxiety about receiving an Eylea injection into my eye?

To learn more about Eylea, see these articles:

To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Healthline’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

Q:

Which vitamins or supplements can I take to help preserve my vision?

Anonymous

A:

Some vitamins and supplements may help preserve your vision and slow the worsening of your vision due to certain eye conditions.

Vitamins A, B, C, and E all play an important role in maintaining healthy vision. For instance:

  • Vitamin A helps maintain a clear cornea, which is the outside covering of your eye.
  • Vitamin B1 (thiamine) helps ensure proper cell function, including that of eye cells, and makes energy for the cells in your eyes.
  • Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) acts as an antioxidant, which fights free radicals in your body. (Free radicals are compounds that can cause harm, including harm to your eyes, if their levels are too high in your body.)
  • Vitamin B3 (niacin) acts as an antioxidant and also makes energy for the cells in your eyes.
  • Vitamins B6, B9, and B12 work together to lower levels of homocysteine, which is a protein in your body that may be associated with inflammation, including inflammation in your eyes.
  • Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants that may protect your eyes against damaging free radicals.
  • Lutein and zeaxanthin act as antioxidants and help filter potentially harmful blue light, protecting your eyes from damage.

If you’d like to know more about vitamins and supplements that help with vision, talk with your doctor. And before taking any vitamins or supplements, always be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist.

The Healthline Pharmacist TeamAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.

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