If you have certain eye conditions, your doctor may recommend treatment with Vabysmo. It’s a brand-name prescription drug used in adults to treat:

With wet AMD and DME, you have damage to an area at the back of your eye called the macula. The macula allows you to see shapes, colors, and details. Damage to the macula from these conditions causes loss of vision that gradually worsens over time.

Vabysmo is a treatment for wet AMD and DME that improves vision and helps slow vision loss.

Vabysmo basics

Vabysmo comes as a liquid solution in a single-dose vial. Your eye doctor will administer the drug through an injection into your eye.

Vabysmo is a kind of drug called a dual angiopoietin-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor. It contains the active drug faricimab-svoa,* which is a biologic. (An active drug is the ingredient that makes a drug work.)

Biologics are protein drugs made using living cells. Vabysmo is not available in a biosimilar form. (Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for non-biologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologics.)

Read on to learn more about Vabysmo’s cost, dosage, side effects, and more.

* The reason “-svoa” appears at the end of the drug’s name is to show that this drug is distinct from similar medications that may be created in the future.

Prices of prescription drugs can vary depending on many factors. These include whether you have insurance, and if so, what your insurance plan covers. It may also depend on whether you get the drug from a pharmacy or it’s administered by your doctor.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. A patient support program may also be available to you.

You can also check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

Below are common dosages of Vabysmo, but your doctor will determine the dosage that’s right for you.

Form and strength

Vabysmo comes as a liquid solution in a single-dose vial. Your eye doctor will administer the drug by intravitreal injection, which is an injection into your eye.

Vabysmo is available in one strength of 120 milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). Each vial contains a single dose of 6 mg in 0.05 mL of liquid solution.

Recommended dosages

The usual recommended dosages of Vabysmo are described below.

Dosage for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

For treating wet AMD, you’ll likely receive one dose of 6 mg every 4 weeks for the first four doses. After that, you may have further injections every 1 to 4 months. Your doctor will determine the dosing schedule that’s right for you.

Dosage for diabetic macular edema (DME)

For treating DME, you’ll likely receive one dose of 6 mg every 4 weeks for the first four to six doses. After that, you may have further injections every 1 to 2 months. Your doctor will determine the dosing schedule that’s right for you.

Questions about Vabysmo’s dosing

Below are some common questions about Vabysmo’s dosing.

  • What if I miss a dose of Vabysmo? If you miss your Vabysmo injection appointment, call your doctor’s office right away to reschedule.
  • Will I need to receive Vabysmo long term? Yes, Vabysmo is usually a long-term treatment.
  • How long does Vabysmo take to work? Vabysmo starts working right after your first injection. In studies, many people had improved vision 1 month after starting Vabysmo. But note that each person may respond differently to the drug. Ask your eye doctor about what you can expect from this treatment.

Like most drugs, Vabysmo may cause mild to serious side effects. The lists below describe some of Vabysmo’s more common side effects, but not all of its 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 take

Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about the potential side effects of Vabysmo. They can also suggest ways to help reduce them.

Mild side effects

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

Mild side effects of Vabysmo that have been reported include:

  • temporary vision problems, such as blurry vision
  • bleeding on the surface of your eye where the needle has entered, causing a red spot on the white part of your eye
  • floaters (dots or squiggly lines that move) in your vision
  • eye discomfort or pain
  • eye irritation or itching
  • watery eye
  • a sensation of having something in your eye
  • mild allergic reaction*

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

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Vabysmo can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from this drug, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

Serious side effects of Vabysmo that have been reported include:

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section just below.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Vabysmo. Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, usually in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing.

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

Find answers to some commonly asked questions about Vabysmo.

What is Vabysmo’s mechanism of action (how does it work)?

With the eye conditions Vabysmo treats, you have leaky blood vessels in a part of your eye called the macula. The macula is an area at the back of your eye that allows you to see shapes, colors, and details. When blood vessels in the macula leak, this makes the macula swell. Over time, this swelling can damage the macula and lead to loss of vision.

Vabysmo is a kind of drug called a dual angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor. It works by blocking the action of two proteins called Ang-2 and VEGF. These proteins help abnormal, leaky blood vessels grow in the macula.

By blocking these proteins, Vabysmo does the following in the macula:

  • slows the growth of abnormal blood vessels
  • reduces leaking from blood vessels, which helps to:
    • reduce swelling, which improves your vision
    • reduce further damage to the macula, which helps slow vision loss

How does Vabysmo compare with other similar drugs, such as Susvimo or Avastin?

Vabysmo is used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Other drugs similar to Vabysmo that are used for these eye conditions include:

As with Vabysmo, all these drugs are VEGF inhibitors. They work by blocking the action of a protein called VEGF. VEGF is involved in causing wet AMD and DME. Vabysmo also blocks the action of another protein called Ang-2 that’s involved in causing these eye conditions.

Like Vabysmo, all these drugs are administered by injection into the eye. And they’re usually given every 4 weeks to begin with. But Susvimo is a long-acting implant that’s inserted into the eye to treat wet AMD. The implant is usually refilled every 6 months.

Vabysmo has been shown to be similarly effective to Eylea in studies. Vabysmo can also cause similar side effects to Eylea and other VEGF inhibitors.

To find out more about how Vabysmo compares with similar treatments, talk with your doctor. They can help determine which treatment may be a good option for you.

* The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved Avastin for DME or wet AMD. But it’s prescribed off-label by eye doctors for these uses. (With off-label use, a drug is prescribed for a condition it’s not approved to treat.)

Does Vabysmo have a loading dose?

Yes, it does. A loading dose is a higher dose that’s used at the start of treatment to help the drug start working quickly.

When you first start Vabysmo, you’ll likely receive one dose every 4 weeks for four to six doses. This helps to quickly reduce the swelling in your macula and improve your vision. Depending on how your condition responds to the loading dose, your future doses may be given less frequently.

Talk with your doctor if you have any questions about your Vabysmo dosage.

Vabysmo is given by injection into your eye. This is called an intravitreal injection. Your eye doctor will administer the injections in their clinic or office.

Your eye doctor will explain how Vabysmo will be given to you. They’ll also explain how much you’ll be given and how often. You’ll likely have one injection every 1 to 4 months.

Receiving Vabysmo

Before you receive an injection of Vabysmo, your doctor will numb your eye using a local anesthetic. This is usually administered as an eye drop or gel. Your doctor will also clean your eye and eyelid with an antiseptic solution to help prevent infection. They will then inject Vabysmo into your eye using a very thin needle.

Right after the injection, your doctor will check the pressure in your eye to make sure it’s not too high. If it is, they’ll treat this by removing some of the fluid from your eye using another needle.

After receiving a Vabysmo injection, you may have some temporary vision problems, such as blurry vision. You should arrange for someone to take you home after each appointment.

Before starting treatment with Vabysmo, it’s important to talk with your doctor. Tell them about any medical conditions you have, your overall health, and any other drugs you take. These and other factors are described in more detail below.

Interactions

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

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

For information about drug-condition interactions, see the “Warnings” section below.

Interactions with drugs or supplements

There currently aren’t any medications or supplements known to interact with Vabysmo. But this doesn’t mean drug interactions with Vabysmo won’t be recognized in the future. For example, new medications may be approved that interact with Vabysmo.

For this reason, you should still tell your doctor and pharmacist about any medications you take. This way, they can check for any new interactions during your treatment.

Warnings

Vabysmo can sometimes cause harmful effects in people who have certain conditions. This is known as a drug-condition interaction. Other factors may also affect whether this drug is a good treatment option for you. Talk with your doctor about your health history before starting Vabysmo. Factors to consider include those described below.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Vabysmo or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe it for you. Ask them about other medications that might be better options.

Eye infection. Your doctor will examine your eyes before each Vabysmo injection. If they find you have an infection in or around your eye, they’ll likely not administer the drug. Instead, they’ll probably prescribe medication to treat the infection and reschedule your Vabysmo appointment for after it’s cleared up.

Eye inflammation. Your doctor will examine your eyes before each Vabysmo injection. If you have inflammation in your eye, they’ll probably not administer Vabysmo. Instead, they’ll likely prescribe medication to reduce the inflammation and reschedule your Vabysmo appointment.

Vabysmo and alcohol

Vabysmo hasn’t been reported to interact with alcohol. If you drink alcohol, talk with your doctor about how much is safe to drink during your treatment with this drug.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, be sure to talk with your doctor before having Vabysmo treatment.

Pregnancy

Vabysmo hasn’t been studied in people who are pregnant. But due to the way this drug works, it might have harmful effects on a fetus if used during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, your doctor will likely recommend that you do not receive Vabysmo injections. Talk with them about other treatment options for your condition.

Birth control

If you could become pregnant, your doctor will likely recommend using birth control during Vabysmo treatment. You should start using birth control before your first dose of the drug. And you should keep using it throughout your Vabysmo treatment and for at least 3 months after your last dose.

Breastfeeding

It’s not known whether Vabysmo can pass into breast milk or whether it would be safe for a child who’s breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, talk with your doctor. They can help determine the best treatment options for your condition and the best way to feed your child.

Vabysmo is used in adults to treat the following eye conditions:

With wet AMD and DME, you have leaky blood vessels in a part of your eye called the macula. The macula is an area at the back of your eye that allows you to see shapes, colors, and details. When blood vessels in the macula leak, this makes the macula swell. The swelling can damage the macula and lead to loss of vision. This tends to get worse over time.

Vabysmo does the following in the macula:

  • slows the growth of abnormal blood vessels
  • reduces leaking from blood vessels, which helps to:
    • reduce swelling, which improves your vision
    • reduce further damage to the macula, which helps slow vision loss

If you have questions about taking Vabysmo, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Questions you may want to ask include:

  • How effective is Vabysmo?
  • Can Vabysmo cure my condition?
  • How can I reduce anxiety about having Vabysmo injections?
  • Are there any long-term side effects to this treatment?
  • Can both my eyes be treated at the same time?

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.

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.