Beovu
Generic name:brolucizumab-dbll
Dosage form: intravitreal injection
Drug class:Anti-angiogenic ophthalmic agents
What is Beovu?
Beovu (brolucizumab-dbll) injection is a biological drug that is used to treat two chronic eye conditions. One is called neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and it is a leading cause of vision loss in people 50 years of age and over. The other is called diabetic macular edema (DME). It is a complication of diabetes and another leading cause of vision loss. Beovu is given by injection into the eye.
Wet ADM occurs when abnormal, leaky blood vessels grow under your macula. The macula is the part of your retina at the back of your eye and it is responsible for your central vision. The leaky blood vessels can cause scaring on your macula, leading to blurry vision, wavy lines in your vision, muted colors and blind spots.
DME is caused by the leakage of fluid into the retina by damaged blood vessels. This can lead to localized swelling, including swelling of the macula.
Beovu is a type of drug called a humanized recombinant monoclonal antibody fragment. It targets and inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). VEGF-A is a protein that some people with these eye diseases produce too much of.
Beovu is a VEGF inhibitor that works by binding to and blocking VEGF-A from interacting with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) and -2 (VEGFR-2). This helps to stop the growth of new abnormal, leaky blood vessels in the eyes.
Beovu was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019. No biosimilars of Beovu have been approved. Biosimilars are highly similar versions of a biological drug that are designed to have the same effect on a person, but a biosimilar is not identical to the original version of the drug.
What is Beovu used for?
Beovu is a prescription medication used for the treatment of neovascular (wet) AMD and DME.
Important information
Beovu can cause serious side effects including:
- Infection of the eye or retinal detachment (separation of retina from the back of the eye).
- Inflammation of the retinal blood vessels (Retinal vasculitis) and/or blood clots in the retinal veins (retinal vascular occlusion), typically when there is inflammation in the eye.
- Increased eye pressure. Increased eye pressure has been seen within 30 minutes of an eye injection, including Beovu. Sustained increases in eye pressure also have been reported. Your doctor should monitor for this when you receive a Beovu injection.
- A potential risk of stroke, heart attack, or blood clots. These adverse events have been observed in patients receiving eye injections of VEGF inhibitor drugs, including Beovu.
- Sudden vision loss. Sudden vision loss due to blockage of the blood vessels in the back of the eye and inflammation of blood vessels in the back of the eye have been reported.
Tell your doctor straight...
