Eylea and Eylea HD (aflibercept) are brand-name drugs prescribed to treat certain eye conditions. They come as a solution that’s injected into the back of the eye. The dosage can vary, depending on several factors.

Eylea and Eylea HD* are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help slow vision loss in adults with the following conditions:

Eylea is also approved to treat the following conditions:

In this article, “Eylea” is used to describe both forms of the drug, unless otherwise noted.

Eylea is a biologic and belongs to a drug class called vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors. Eylea isn’t available in a biosimilar version.

Keep reading for specific information about the dosage of Eylea, including its strength and how it’s given. For a comprehensive look at Eylea, see this article.

Note: This article describes typical dosages for Eylea provided by the drug’s manufacturer. However, your doctor will prescribe the Eylea dosage that’s right for you.

* Eylea HD is short for “Eylea higher dose.” Eylea HD has a higher dose of aflibercept (the active drug) than Eylea. As a result, Eylea HD involves less frequent injections than Eylea.

The typically recommended dosages of Eylea are described below.

Eylea forms

Eylea and Eylea HD come as a solution that your doctor gives you as an injection into the back of your eye. For details about Eylea injections, see the “How Eylea is given” section below.

Eylea is available in single-dose vials and prefilled syringes.

Eylea HD is available in single-dose vials.

Eylea strength

Eylea comes in one strength: 2 milligrams (mg) of drug per 0.05 milliliters (mL) of solution.

Eylea HD comes in one strength: 8 mg of drug per 0.07 mL of solution.

Typical dosages

Typically, your doctor will give your Eylea injections more frequently at the beginning of treatment. This is your starting dosage. Then they’ll adjust the frequency over time. Your doctor will ultimately prescribe the smallest dosage that provides the desired effect. This is your maintenance dosage.

The following information describes Eylea dosages that are commonly prescribed or recommended. However, your doctor will determine the best dosage to fit your needs. Note that dosages are per affected eye.

Dosage for wet age-related macular degeneration

Recommended dosages for wet age-related macular degeneration depend on the drug form.

For Eylea, the recommended dosage is:

  • Starting dosage: 2 mg every 4 weeks for your first three injections
  • Maintenance dosage: 2 mg every 8 weeks

Monthly doses of Eylea may be necessary for some people after the first three injections. In this case, you’ll continue having injections every 4 weeks.

After 1 year of treatment, some people may receive Eylea injections once every 12 weeks. But this dosing regimen isn’t as effective as once every 8 weeks. Your doctor will monitor your vision regularly to determine the dosing schedule that’s right for you.

For Eylea HD, the recommended dosage is:

  • Starting dosage: 8 mg every 4 weeks for your first three injections
  • Maintenance dosage: 8 mg every 8–16 weeks

Dosage for diabetic macular edema

Recommended dosages for diabetic macular edema depend on the drug form.

For Eylea, the recommended dosage is:

  • Starting dosage: 2 mg every 4 weeks for your first five injections
  • Maintenance dosage: 2 mg every 8 weeks

Monthly doses of Eylea may be necessary for some people after the first five injections. In this case, you’ll continue having injections every 4 weeks.

For Eylea HD, the recommended dosage is:

  • Starting dosage: 8 mg every 4 weeks for your first three injections
  • Maintenance dosage: 8 mg every 8–16 weeks

Dosage for diabetic retinopathy

Recommended dosages for diabetic retinopathy depend on the drug form.

For Eylea, the recommended dosage is:

  • Starting dosage: 2 mg every 4 weeks for the first five injections
  • Maintenance dosage: 2 mg every 8 weeks

Monthly doses of Eylea may be necessary for some people after the first five injections. In this case, you’ll continue having injections every 4 weeks.

For Eylea HD, the recommended dosage is:

  • Starting dosage: 8 mg every 4 weeks for your first three injections
  • Maintenance dosage: 8 mg every 8–12 weeks

Dosage for macular edema from retinal vein occlusion

The recommended dosage of Eylea for macular edema from retinal vein occlusion is 2 mg by injection into the affected eye every 4 weeks.

Children’s dosage

Eylea is prescribed to treat retinopathy of prematurity in infants who are born prematurely. The recommended dosage for this condition is 0.4 mg (0.01 mL) Eylea by injection into the affected eye.

Some infants require repeated doses into the same eye. If so, doctors must wait at least 10 days before injecting Eylea into the same eye.

Long-term treatment

Eylea is meant to be a long-term treatment for most conditions. If you and your doctor determine that Eylea is safe and effective for you, you’ll likely continue treatment long term.

If you have questions about your Eylea dosing schedule and treatment plan, talk with your doctor.

The Eylea dosage your doctor prescribes will depend on several factors. These include:

  • the type and severity of the condition Eylea is treating
  • the form of Eylea you take
  • how well Eylea works for your condition
  • other medical conditions you may have

For more information about your dosage, talk with your doctor.

Your doctor (an eye specialist) will give you Eylea as an eye injection at their office.

Before the injection, your doctor will wash your eye with a solution that helps prevent infection. They’ll also numb your eye with eye drops containing an anesthetic.

Your doctor will inject Eylea into the back part of your eye with a very thin needle. The drug enters the vitreous (a jelly-like clear part) of your eyeball. This is an intravitreal injection. For more information about this type of injection, see this article.

If you have questions about how Eylea is given, talk with your doctor.

If you miss an appointment for your Eylea dose, contact your doctor’s office promptly to reschedule. Missed doses of Eylea may make the medication less effective for your condition.

To help make sure that you don’t miss an appointment, put your dosing schedule on a calendar. You can also set up appointment reminders on your phone.

The dosages in this article are typical dosages provided by the drug’s manufacturer. If your doctor recommends Eylea for you, they’ll prescribe the dosage that’s right for you.

If you have questions about the Eylea dosage that’s best for you, talk with your doctor.

Besides learning about dosage, you may want other information about Eylea. These additional articles might be helpful:

  • More about Eylea. For information about other aspects of Eylea, refer to this article.
  • Side effects. To learn about side effects of Eylea, see this article. You can also look at the prescribing information for Eylea and Eylea HD.
  • Cost. If you’d like to learn about Eylea and cost, see this article.
  • Details about your condition. For details about your condition, see our eye health hub.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today 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.