An anti-VEGF eye injection
Aflibercept
An injection given into the eye by a specialist for wet AMD and diabetic and retinal-vein eye disease, often with fewer injections than some alternatives.
What is Aflibercept?
Aflibercept is an anti-VEGF medicine injected into the eye to treat leaky, fragile blood vessels at the back of the eye, including wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease and blocked retinal veins. It works in a similar way to ranibizumab but often needs fewer injections, with longer gaps between treatments for many people. It is given by an eye specialist in a clean clinic. As with all eye injections, it carries a small risk of a serious eye infection (endophthalmitis) and raised eye pressure, so a painful, red or suddenly blurred eye after an injection must be reported urgently.
Education and reference only. This is a plain-language guide to Aflibercept — it deliberately contains no doses. Doses depend on the person, the brand and the reason for treatment, and belong with your prescriber. Always check the BNF, the product labelling (SmPC) and follow medical advice.
What it is
Aflibercept is an anti-VEGF medicine that mops up the signal (VEGF) responsible for abnormal, leaky blood vessels at the back of the eye. It is used for wet age-related macular degeneration and for the swelling and leakage of diabetic eye disease and blocked retinal veins. Like other anti-VEGF treatments, it is given as a small injection into the eye by an eye specialist rather than as a drop or tablet, and a key practical advantage is that many people need fewer injections than with some alternatives.
How it works
Aflibercept binds tightly to VEGF (and a related growth factor), blocking the signal that makes blood vessels at the back of the eye grow and leak. This reduces the fluid and bleeding under the retina that damage central vision, helping sight stabilise and often improve. Because it binds strongly and lasts well in the eye, the intervals between injections can often be longer than with some other anti-VEGF medicines, though regular treatment and review are still needed.
Company & origin
Originated / developed by: Bayer / Regeneron.
An anti-VEGF medicine injected into the eye by an eye specialist to treat wet AMD and other retinal conditions in the UK, often needing fewer injections.
Practical use
How to take Aflibercept
General, dose-free guidance — always follow your prescriber's and the leaflet's specific instructions.
- It is given as an injection into the eye by an eye specialist in a clinic; it is not used at home.
- Numbing drops and an antiseptic are used first, and a clean technique reduces the risk of infection.
- Attend your injection and review appointments, even if the gaps between them are longer than with some other treatments.
- Do not rub your eye afterwards, and use any drops you are given exactly as directed.
- Seek urgent eye-clinic advice if your eye becomes painful, increasingly red, or your vision suddenly worsens after an injection.
Weighing it up
Advantages & disadvantages of Aflibercept
Advantages
- Effective at protecting and often improving sight in wet AMD and other leaking retinal conditions.
- Often needs fewer injections than some alternatives, meaning fewer clinic visits over time.
- Acts mainly within the eye, so it has little effect on the rest of the body.
Disadvantages
- Still needs repeated injections and regular reviews, as the effect wears off.
- Carries the same small but serious risk of eye infection (endophthalmitis) and raised eye pressure.
- Some people find eye injections stressful, even though they are quick and done with numbing drops.
Practical use
Good to know
Aflibercept is very similar to ranibizumab in what it treats and how it is given, and the same eye-safety warnings apply. A practical difference for many people is that it can allow longer gaps between injections, which means fewer clinic visits over time. The injection is a routine procedure done with numbing drops and a clean technique. The most important risk to recognise is a rare but serious eye infection (endophthalmitis) and a temporary rise in eye pressure: in the days after an injection, watch for a painful, increasingly red eye, worsening vision, new floaters or light sensitivity, and seek urgent eye-clinic advice. Mild redness, grittiness, a small bloodshot patch or a few short-lived floaters are common and usually settle. Keeping to your treatment and review schedule is what keeps the condition controlled.
Who should not take it / use with caution
- People with an active or suspected eye infection should not be injected until it is treated.
- It is avoided if you have had a serious allergic reaction to aflibercept or any of its ingredients.
- Used with caution, after weighing the risks, in pregnancy and breastfeeding and after a recent stroke or heart attack.
Monitoring
- Eye examinations and scans (such as OCT) to judge the response and plan the timing of the next injection.
- Checking eye pressure and looking for any signs of infection or inflammation after injections.
- Reviewing your vision over the course of treatment to decide how far apart injections can be spaced.
Side effects
- Temporary eye redness, soreness, grittiness, a small bloodshot patch or floaters that usually settle within days.
- A short-lived rise in eye pressure after the injection, which the clinic checks for.
- Rarely, a serious eye infection (endophthalmitis), retinal detachment or a sudden loss of vision, all needing urgent care.
Key interactions
- Because it works locally in the eye, important interactions with tablets and other medicines are uncommon.
- Tell the clinic about any blood-thinning medicines, although these are not usually a reason to stop treatment.
- If switching between anti-VEGF injections, the specialist will plan the timing and the affected eye.
Available as: Solution given as an injection into the eye by an eye specialist.
Answers
Aflibercept: frequently asked questions
How is aflibercept different from ranibizumab?
They are both anti-VEGF eye injections used for similar conditions; aflibercept often allows longer gaps between injections, so many people need fewer treatments over time, but the eye-safety warnings are the same.
Will I need fewer injections with aflibercept?
For many people the gaps between injections can be longer, meaning fewer clinic visits, though this varies and your specialist will tailor the schedule to your response.
What should I watch for after the injection?
Seek urgent eye-clinic advice if your eye becomes painful, increasingly red, very sensitive to light, or your vision suddenly worsens, as these can signal a serious eye infection.
Is the injection safe?
It is a routine, well-practised procedure done with numbing drops and a clean technique; the main serious risk, a deep eye infection, is rare but important to report quickly if it occurs.
Does it cure my condition?
It controls the leakage and protects, and often improves, your sight rather than curing the underlying condition, so ongoing treatment is usually needed.
The wider class
About Anti-VEGF eye injection
Aflibercept belongs to the anti-vegf eye injection class. For how the class as a whole works, its shared safety principles and monitoring, see the full guide.
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Authoritative sources
- BNF
- NICE CKS
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