Anti VEGF Agents

Bevacizumab injection is given to treat eye disease to block the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the back of the eye. The abnormal growth can block the vision and cause blood leaks in the eye resulting in vision loss. 

The medicine takes approximately one month to show effect and improves vision. Though this depends upon your doctor and if they deem you fit for the eye injection. Patients with central retinal vein occlusion, myopic choroidal neovascularization, diabetic retinopathy, and other eye conditions are given bevacizumab injections. 

The procedure is conducted inside the room and under the supervision of an experienced ophthalmologist. The surgeon might ask you to read a chart to check your vision. They will give eye drops to numb your eye, making the process painless. 

Upon this, your eye will be cleaned with an ointment to prevent infection. Once done, the surgeon will place a tool to hold your eye open, or it will be hard to inject based on a human’s reflex mechanism. 

Then the bevacizumab injection will be inserted in the sclera of your eye (the white part of the eye). The needle is extremely thin so as not to damage the eye or the vessels. The procedure will be painless, considering the numbing eye drops have been applied. 

Once the procedure is over, the antiseptic and anaesthetics are washed from the eye and an eye patch is applied. Though an eye patch might not be mandatory, in a few cases, it is advised. 

You are advised to consult with your ophthalmologist about what to do and what not to do. Please do not put any eye makeup on, refrain from straining your eye, and do not rub it unnecessarily, or the process might not occur because of eye irritation. 

Though both are the most commonly used VEGF agents and have similar active molecule parts, bevacizumab and ranibizumab are different. The Avastin Bevacizumab is the anti-VEGF, whereas ranibizumab is an antibody fragment. 

In the systemic circulation, the bevacizumab has an extended half-life compared to ranibizumab. But the latter one is said to have better retina penetration and higher affinity than the Avastin Bevacizumab. 

Note that ranibizumab is a monoclonal antibody that slows the abnormal eye blood vessel growth and decreases the leak from these vessels. It falls in the category of vascular endothelial growth factor antibody. It stops vision loss and penetrates the retina to stop the growth. 

The aflibercept injection helps in treating the age-related wet macular degeneration that causes the vision loss, or loss in seeing straight, causing discomfort in reading, driving, watching tv or other activities. The solution is injected into the eye sclera with a very thin needle. Once the proper dosage is injected, your eye will be cleaned. After the medicine takes effect, the vision loss will be restored, and you can read without discomfort.