What is Eylea?
Eylea is a prescription medication that is used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Additionally, it is utilized to treat diabetic eye disease and other retinal disorders. It is injected into the eye to aid with the slow progression of visual loss associated with these and some other disorders.
Eylea is the trade name for the medication aflibercept. It prevents abnormal blood vessels in the rear of the eye from growing and leaking fluid. These blood vessels can leak and impair vision, resulting in wet AMD and diabetic eye disease vision loss.
Diabetic eye disease explanation:
How does Afilbercept (Eylea) function?
Aflibercept is a synthetic protein developed to bind to and inhibit the action of a molecule called vascular endothelial growth factor A. (VEGF-A). Additionally, it can form complexes with other proteins, such as placental growth factor (PlGF). VEGF-A and PlGF promote aberrant blood vessel growth in patients with AMD, certain kinds of macular oedema, and myopic choroidal neovascularization. By inhibiting these factors, aflibercept inhibits blood vessel formation and regulates leakage and swelling.
Eylea uses
Eylea (aflibercept) is used for the following purposes:
EYLEA is suggested for the treatment of the following conditions:
- Neovascular (Wet) Macular Degeneration as a Result of Aging (AMD)
- Edema of the Macular Veins Following Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO)
- Edema of the Diabetic Macular (Diabetic Macular Edema) (DME)
- Diabetic Rheumatoid Arthritis (DR)
Eylea side-effects
Eylea side effects include the following:
Eylea may cause the following mild side effects:
- Temporary changes in your vision following the injection
- A red patch on the eye’s surface is caused by bleeding from a small blood vessel
- Pain in the eyes
- Redness of the eyes
- Observation of floaters (small squiggly lines or moving spots in your vision)
- Having the sensation that something is in your eye
- Swollen eyes
- Detachment of the vitreous (a condition in which the jelly-like substance inside your eyeball pulls away from your retina)
- Swelling of the eyelids
Serious adverse effects and their symptoms include the following:
- Keratoconus (a type of eye problem). Symptoms may include the following:
- Persistent blurred or clouded eyesight
- Difficulty seeing at night
- Perceiving colors to be faded
- Exacerbation of glare sensitivity
- In the afflicted eye, double vision
- Hypersensitivity reaction
- Elevation of intraocular pressure (pressure in your eye)
- Ophthalmic endophthalmitis (infection inside the eyeball)
- Retinal detachment (separation of the retina from the back of the eye)
- A higher risk of blood clots, which can result in a heart attack or stroke
How Eylea is given?
Eylea is injected into the eye. Your doctor will numb your eye with medication before administering the injection. This injection will be administered in your doctor’s office or another clinic setting.
For a brief period following your injection, your eyes will be checked routinely to ensure there were no adverse effects.
Is the injection of Eylea painful?
Generally, they do not. Your eye doctor will numb your eye with medicinal drops prior to administering the injection. After these drops wear off, you may experience some brief discomfort in your eye. If necessary, request a pain reliever from your eye doctor.
If you experience persistent or worsening eye pain following an Eylea injection, call your doctor immediately. This could be a sign of an infection in your eye that requires treatment. To learn more about eye infection, see “Side effects explained” below.
Aflibercept dosage
• Wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD): For the first three months of treatment, you will receive an Eylea injection in your eye once every four weeks (about every 28 days). Then, your physician may prescribe that you receive a dose every eight weeks. However, some individuals may require a 4-week dose plan. Following a year of treatment, your doctor may adjust your dose schedule to once every 12 weeks.
• If you have diabetic retinopathy or diabetic macular edema, you will begin Eylea treatment with a once-per-four-week injection in your eye for the first five months. Then, your physician may recommend that you receive an injection every four to eight weeks.
• If you have macular edema due to a vein blockage, you will have one Eylea injection in your eye every four weeks.
Aflibercept contraindications
EYLEA is contraindicated in individuals with active intraocular inflammation, ocular or periocular infections, or known allergy to aflibercept or any of the excipients in EYLEA.
Important information on safety
• EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection is a prescription medication that is injected into the eye under the supervision of a physician. If you have an infection in or around the eye, eye pain or redness, or if you have a known allergy to any of the substances in EYLEA, including aflibercept, you should not use EYLEA.
• EYLEA injections into the eye can cause infection and retinal detachment (separation of the retina from the back of the eye). EYLEA has been associated with eye inflammation.
• In some patients, EYLEA injections may result in a transient increase in ocular pressure within one hour of the injection. With repeated injections, sustained increases in eye pressure have been documented, and your doctor may monitor this after each injection.
• There is a small but possible risk of significant and occasionally fatal adverse effects associated with blood clots, which could result in a heart attack or stroke in patients using EYLEA.
• The most frequently reported adverse events in patients treated with EYLEA were increased eye redness, eye pain, cataract, vitreous (gel-like substance) separation, vitreous floaters, moving spots in the field of vision, and increased intraocular pressure.
• You may notice transient vision changes following an EYLEA injection and accompanying eye tests; avoid driving or operating machinery until your vision has fully recovered.
• Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any side effects following an injection, including eye pain or redness, light sensitivity, or blurred vision.
Eylea injection cost
The cost for Eylea intravitreal solution (40 mg/mL) is around $1,941 for a supply of 0.05 milliliters, depending on the pharmacy you visit. For financial support to obtain Eylea visit: https://eylea.us/support
