Vabysmo

Generic name: Faricimab-svoa
Dosage form: intravitreal injection
Drug class: Anti-angiogenic ophthalmic agents

Usage of Vabysmo

Vabysmo (Faricimab-svoa) is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) inhibitor that is given by injection into the eye to treat adults with:

Neovascular (Wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD)

Diabetic macular edema (DME), or

Macular edema following retinal vein occlusion.

Vabysmo targets and inhibits two pathways related to vision-threatening retinal conditions. These pathways lead to excess production of two proteins, Ang-2 and VEGF-A, which can harm your central vision. Too much VEGF-A causes leaky blood vessels, damaging the macula at the back of your eye. Excess Ang-2 makes blood vessels unstable, leading to leakage, inflammation, and new vessel growth. Vabysmo helps prevent the growth of these unstable vessels, reducing the risk of eye diseases like nAMD, DME, and macular edema after retinal vein occlusion.

Vabysmo was first FDA-approved on January 28, 2022, and was the first bispecific antibody to be approved for treating eye disorders.

Vabysmo side effects

The most common side effects occurring in 5% or more people receiving Vabysmo were:

Cataracts (15%)

Blood in the white of the eye (conjunctival hemorrhage) (8%).

These are not all the possible side effects of Vabysmo. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.

Before taking Vabysmo

Before receiving Vabysmo, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:

have an eye infection

have red eyes

are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, are breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

There is a potential risk to the unborn baby from Vabysmo. Your healthcare provider may conduct a pregnancy test before starting treatment if there is a chance you could be pregnant.

For females and males of reproductive potential - patients should use birth control before their first injection, during their treatment with Vabysmo, and for 3 months after their last dose of Vabysmo. Vabysmo should not be used during pregnancy unless the potential benefit to the patient outweighs the potential risk to the fetus.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Vabysmo passes into breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you receive Vabysmo.

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How to use Vabysmo

Neovascular (wet) AMD

The recommended dose is 6 mg (0.05 mL of 120 mg/mL solution) every 4 weeks approximately for the first 4 doses.

Your healthcare provider will then conduct optical coherence tomography and visual acuity evaluations after 8 and 12 weeks to guide further dosing.

Some patients may need to continue with injections every 4 weeks.

Diabetic Macular Edema

There are two main doSage regimens for Vabysmo:

6 mg administered by intravitreal injection every 4 weeks for at least 4 doses. Further dosing is guided by optical coherence tomography

6 mg administered by intravitreal injection every 4 weeks for the first 6 doses, followed by 6 mg dose via intravitreal injection at intervals of every 8 weeks (2 months) over the next 28 weeks. Further dosing is guided by optical coherence tomography.

Warnings

Do not receive Vabysmo if you:

have an infection in or around your eye

your eye is red, inflamed, or painful

are allergic to Vabysmo or any of the ingredients in Vabysmo.

Eye infections (endophthalmitis) or separation of the layers of the retina (retinal detachment) can occur following eye injections such as Vabysmo. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have:

increasing eye pain

vision loss

sensitivity to light

redness in the white of the eye.

Temporary increases in the pressure in the eye (also called intraocular pressure) within 60 minutes of an injection have been reported with Vabysmo.

There is a risk of serious, sometimes fatal, blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes (thromboembolic events) associated with the use of VEGF inhibitors, such as Vabysmo.

It is not known if Vabysmo is safe and effective in children.

What other drugs will affect Vabysmo

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

See the prescribing information for a full list of interactions.

Disclaimer

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