Eylea Information and Uses

Eylea

Last Updated: 17:59pm 06.11.13 by Beth Bolt, RPh

Eylea Overview Notify

Eylea (generic: aflibercept) is a prescription medication for the treatment of people with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD, a common eye disease associated with aging) and macular edema. Eylea belongs to a group of drugs called vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antagonists and placental growth factor (PlGF) antagonists. It works by inhibiting a protein that stimulates growth of new blood vessels and blood vessel leakage.

This medication comes in an injectable form to be given directly into the eye by a healthcare provider.

Common side effects of Eylea include eye redness and pain, blood spots on the whites of eyes, and cataracts.

Uses of Eylea

Eylea is a prescription medicine used to treat:

wet age-related macular degeneration
macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (blockage of veins that carry blood away from the retina)

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Side Effects of Eylea

Serious side effects have occurred with Eylea injections. See "Drug Precautions" section.

The most common Eylea side effects include:

conjunctival hemorrhage (bleeding in the eye)
eye pain
cataract
vitreous detachment
vitreous floaters
increased pressure in the eye

This is not a complete list of Eylea side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Eylea Interactions

Because Eylea is injected into the eye, only a very small amount of the drug reaches the bloodstream, making Eylea unlikely to interact with most medications. However, be sure to tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Eylea Precautions

Serious side effects have occurred with Eylea injections including:

serious infections inside the eye
detached retinas
cataracts
inflammation inside the eye
increased eye pressure
uncommonly, some patients have had serious, sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes

If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, or painful, or if you have a change in vision, call or visit your eye doctor right away.

After receiving an Eylea injection, you may experience temporary vision problems. Do not drive or operate machinery until your vision has returned to normal.

Eylea Food Interactions

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Eylea there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Eylea.

Inform MD

Before receiving Eylea, tell your doctor about all your medical conditions including if you:

have an infection in or around your eye(s)
have had a blood clot or stroke
are allergic to any medication, food, or dyes
are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medications you take including prescription and non-prescription medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Eylea and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Eylea will harm your unborn baby.

Eylea and Lactation

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Eylea is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

Eylea Usage

Eylea comes as a liquid to be injected into the eye by a healthcare provider in a medical office, hospital, or clinic.

Before you receive an Eylea injection, your eye will be cleansed to prevent infection and numbed to reduce discomfort during the injection. You may feel pressure in your eye when the medication is injected. You should feel no pain.

After your injection, your doctor will need to examine your eyes before you leave the office.

You may receive a prescription for antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection after the procedure.

After receiving an Eylea injection you may experience temporary vision problems. Do not drive or operate machinery until your vision has returned to normal.

Eylea Dosage

Eylea comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected into the eye by a doctor. It is usually given in a doctor's office every month for 3 months and then once every 2 months.. Your doctor may give you injections on a different schedule if that is best for you.

Eylea Overdose

Eylea is usually administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting making it unlikely for an overdose to occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.