Aflibercept (Ophthalmic)

• If you have an allergy to aflibercept or any other part of aflibercept (ophthalmic).
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.
• If you have an eye infection or swelling in the eye.
• If you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this medicine.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take aflibercept with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

Use this medicine as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.

• Your doctor will give aflibercept.
• It is given as a shot into the eye.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Call your doctor to find out what to do.

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else's drugs.
• Keep a list of all your drugs (prescription, natural products, vitamins, OTC) with you. Give this list to your doctor.
• Talk with the doctor before starting any new drug, including prescription or OTC, natural products, or vitamins.
• Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. Check with your pharmacist. If you have any questions about aflibercept, please talk with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

This information should not be used to decide whether or not to take this medicine or any other medicine. Only the healthcare provider has the knowledge and training to decide which medicines are right for a specific patient. This information does not endorse any medicine as safe, effective, or approved for treating any patient or health condition. This is only a brief summary of general information about aflibercept. It does NOT include all information about the possible uses, directions, warnings, precautions, interactions, adverse effects, or risks that may apply to this medicine. This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from the healthcare provider. You must talk with the healthcare provider for complete information about the risks and benefits of using aflibercept.

Review Date: October 4, 2017

Age-related macular degeneration: Treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration

Diabetic macular edema: Treatment of diabetic macular edema

Diabetic retinopathy: Treatment of diabetic retinopathy in patients with diabetic macular edema

Macular edema: Treatment of macular edema following retinal vein occlusion

For ophthalmic intravitreal injection only. Using aseptic technique, remove entire contents of vial using a 5 micron, 19-gauge 11/2 inch filter needle (supplied) attached to a 1 mL syringe (supplied); keep the needle bevel submerged to avoid introducing excess air. Draw plunger rod back to completely empty the filter needle, then remove and discard filter needle and replace with a sterile 30-gauge 1/2 inch needle (supplied) for intravitreal injection procedure (do not use filter needle for intravitreal injection). Expel air bubbles and slowly depress plunger to expel excess medication (plunger tip should align with the 0.05 mL marking on syringe). The intravitreal injection should be performed under controlled aseptic conditions, which include surgical hand disinfection and the use of sterile gloves, a sterile drape, and a sterile eyelid speculum (or equivalent). Adequate anesthesia and a topical broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent should be administered prior to the procedure.

There are no known significant interactions.

• Discuss specific use of drug and side effects with patient as it relates to treatment. (HCAHPS: During this hospital stay, were you given any medicine that you had not taken before? Before giving you any new medicine, how often did hospital staff tell you what the medicine was for? How often did hospital staff describe possible side effects in a way you could understand?)

• Patient may experience floater in the eye. Have patient report immediately to prescriber signs of severe cerebrovascular disease (change in strength on one side is greater than the other, difficulty speaking or thinking, change in balance, or vision changes), signs of DVT (edema, warmth, numbness, change in color, or pain in the extremities), angina, jaw pain, vision changes, eye pain, severe eye irritation, eye redness, eyelid edema, or sensitivity to light (HCAHPS).

• Educate patient about signs of a significant reaction (eg, wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat). Note: This is not a comprehensive list of all side effects. Patient should consult prescriber for additional questions.

Intended Use and Disclaimer: Should not be printed and given to patients. This information is intended to serve as a concise initial reference for healthcare professionals to use when discussing medications with a patient. You must ultimately rely on your own discretion, experience and judgment in diagnosing, treating and advising patients.

You should not use aflibercept if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

• swelling inside your eyes; or

• any type of infection (bacterial, fungal, viral) in or around your eyes.

To make sure aflibercept is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• a blood clot or stroke; or

• glaucoma or other condition that increase pressure inside your eyes.

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy before your first dose of this medicine. Keep using birth control for at least 3 months after your last injection.

It is not known whether aflibercept passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while using this medicine.

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your aflibercept injection.

This medication may cause blurred vision. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be able to see clearly.