Beovu (Brolucizumab)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Beovu Used For?
Beovu contains brolucizumab, a prescription medicine that is injected into the eye by your eye doctor to treat specific eye conditions that may affect your vision. It belongs to a group of medicines called anti-neovascularization agents.
Primary Uses
Beovu is used to treat eye conditions in adults that may cause decreased vision, including wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular oedema (DME).
How It Works
Beovu may slow down disease progression and thereby maintain, or even improve your vision by targeting specific factors that contribute to these eye conditions.
Good to know: This medicine is not addictive.
How to Take Beovu
Beovu is given by your ophthalmologist as an injection into your eye under local anesthetic. Before the injection, your doctor will clean your eye carefully and give you numbing eye drops to reduce any discomfort.
Dosage Instructions
The recommended dose is 6 mg (0.05 mL) of brolucizumab. For wet AMD: You will receive one injection per month for the first three months, then one injection every 8-12 weeks. For DME: You will receive one injection every six weeks for the first five injections, then one injection every 12 or 16 weeks. Your doctor will determine your specific treatment schedule based on your eye condition.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you miss an appointment for Beovu treatment, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will decide when you should receive your next dose. Missing an injection may reverse the visual improvement you may have experienced.
Important: The treatment interval between two doses should not be less than every eight weeks (2 months).
Available Tablet Strengths
Side Effects
Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.
Common Side Effects
These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:
- eye irritation
- clouding of the lens
- dry eye
- abnormal sensation in the eye
- pain or irritation at injection site
- increased tear production
- redness or itching of the eye
- small particles or spots in vision (floaters)
- allergic reactions (rash, itching, redness of skin)
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- redness or worsening redness of the eye
- eye pain
- sensitivity to light
- vision changes including sudden vision loss
- seeing flashes of light with floaters
- blurred vision or loss of sight
- stroke symptoms (weakness or numbness of limbs or face, difficulty speaking or swallowing)
- heart attack symptoms (chest pain that may spread to neck and shoulders)
- eye infection symptoms
- severe inflammation inside the eye
- retinal detachment or tear
- increased eye pressure
Important Warnings
There are important safety considerations to discuss with your doctor before starting Beovu treatment.
Who Should Not Take Beovu
Do not use Beovu if you are allergic to brolucizumab or any ingredients in the medicine, have an active or suspected infection in or around the eye, or experience pain or redness in your eye.
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor if you have glaucoma, history of seeing flashes of light or floaters, prior eye diseases or treatments, history of sudden vision loss due to blood vessel blockage, ever had a stroke or heart attack, had recent eye surgery or surgery planned within four weeks, or take any other medicines.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant, think you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. Use effective contraception during treatment and for at least one month after the last injection. Beovu is not recommended during breastfeeding and for at least one month after the last injection.
Serious Eye Conditions: Tell your doctor immediately if you develop eye redness, pain, vision changes, sudden vision loss, flashes of light with floaters, or increased sensitivity to light.
Drug Interactions
Tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking, including prescription medicines, vitamins, and supplements bought without a prescription.
Alcohol & Driving
There are specific precautions regarding alcohol consumption and driving while receiving Beovu treatment.
Alcohol
There are no known interactions between Beovu and alcohol.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Do not drive or operate machinery if your vision is poor, either because of your disease or because of the treatment. After your injection, you may experience temporary vision problems like blurry vision. If affected, do not drive or operate machinery until your vision returns to normal.
Storage
Your ophthalmologist will handle storage and administration of Beovu. There is no need to store this medicine at home. If storage is required: keep refrigerated at 2°C to 8°C, do not freeze, protect from light, and may be kept at room temperature (25°C) for up to 24 hours before use.
Overdose Information
If you receive more Beovu than needed, your doctor will check the pressure in your eye and treat it if increased. Contact your doctor if you feel unwell after receiving Beovu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beovu is used to treat chronic eye diseases, so this is typically a long-term treatment that may continue for months or years. Your doctor will regularly check that the treatment is having the desired effect during scheduled visits.
No, Beovu is not addictive.
Stopping treatment may increase your risk of vision loss and reverse any visual improvement you may have experienced. Always speak with your doctor before stopping treatment.
There are no known interactions between Beovu and alcohol.
If you miss an appointment for Beovu treatment, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will decide when you should receive your next dose. Missing an injection may reverse the visual improvement you may have experienced.
The safety and efficacy of Beovu when administered to both eyes at the same time has not been studied, and use in this way may lead to an increased risk of experiencing side effects.
Yes, injections with Beovu may cause an increase in eye pressure in some patients within 30 minutes of the injection. Your doctor will monitor this after each injection.
Important Disclaimer
This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately.