Izervay (Avacincaptad Pegol)
Complete patient guide for uses, dosage, side effects, and safety information
Prescription RequiredQuick Facts
What Is Izervay Used For?
Izervay is an eye injection medication used to treat a specific eye condition that affects your central vision.
Primary Uses
Izervay is used to treat adult patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This condition affects the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for fine, central vision. In GA, regions of the retina experience cell death, creating areas that can grow and result in dim or blind spots in your vision, potentially leading to permanent vision loss.
How It Works
Izervay works by attaching to a specific protein called complement component 5 (C5). By blocking this protein’s activity, the medicine prevents cells in the retina called photoreceptors from dying. Izervay is intended to slow down worsening of the disease, though improvement in vision or quality of life has not been demonstrated.
Important to understand: Izervay is designed to slow disease progression rather than improve vision. It helps prevent further damage to your retina.
How to Take Izervay
Izervay is given as an injection directly into your eye by a doctor experienced in giving eye injections. You will not handle this medication yourself.
Dosage Instructions
The recommended dose is 2 mg (0.1 ml) avacincaptad pegol. You will receive one injection every month for the first 12 months, followed by once monthly or every other month thereafter. Before the injection, your doctor will clean your eye with disinfectant and numb it to reduce pain. Your doctor will also check your eye pressure after the injection.
What If You Miss a Dose?
If you miss a scheduled injection, contact your doctor as soon as possible to schedule a new appointment. Do not stop treatment without speaking to your doctor first, as stopping treatment may increase your risk of vision loss and your vision may worsen.
Important: Never attempt to self-administer this medication. It must only be given by a qualified eye doctor.
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:
- Bleeding from small blood vessels in the outer layer of the eye
- Eye pain
- Increase in pressure inside the eye
- Scratch or damage to the clear layer of the eyeball
- Inflammation or reddening of eyelids or eye surface
- Inflammation, bleeding or cells in the gel-like substance inside the eye
- Feeling of having something in your eye
- Blurred vision
- Moving spots or dark shades in your vision (floaters)
- Flashes of light in your vision
- Visual impairment
- Temporary decreased sharpness of vision
- Temporary loss of vision
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Serious inflammation or infection inside the eye
- Lack of blood supply to the optic nerve leading to sudden loss of vision
- Bleeding from small blood vessels in the retina
- Growth of abnormal blood vessels which leak blood and fluid and can damage cells at the back of the eye
- Wet AMD – a serious and vision-threatening condition requiring urgent treatment
Important Warnings
There are important safety considerations and conditions that may prevent you from using Izervay safely.
Who Should Not Take Izervay
Do not use Izervay if you are allergic to avacincaptad pegol or any ingredients in the medication, have an active or suspected infection in or around the eye, or have pain or redness in your eye (eye inflammation).
Medical Conditions to Discuss
Tell your doctor about any other medical conditions you have and all medicines you are taking for any other conditions. During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects, so it’s important to understand these risks.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Izervay has not been studied in pregnant women and is not recommended during pregnancy. If you are breastfeeding, discuss with your doctor as it’s unknown whether the medication passes into breast milk. Your doctor will help you decide whether to stop treatment while breastfeeding.
Wet AMD Warning: Wet AMD is a serious and vision-threatening condition associated with Izervay that requires urgent eye specialist review and treatment.
Drug Interactions
Tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements.
- Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure about what medicines, vitamins or supplements you are taking and if these affect Izervay
Alcohol & Driving
Izervay may affect your ability to drive or operate machinery safely due to potential vision changes.
Alcohol
No specific alcohol interactions are mentioned in the prescribing information.
Driving and Operating Machinery
Izervay may cause blurred vision in some people. You should not drive or use machinery until your eyesight has recovered. Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how Izervay affects you.
Storage
You will not be asked to store Izervay at home. Your eye doctor will store, handle, and inject your medicine. It is stored in the refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C by your doctor. Any unused portion of the solution will not be stored for reuse and will be disposed of according to local requirements.
Overdose Information
Since Izervay is given by your eye doctor, it is unlikely that you will receive too much. However, if you experience any side effects after being given Izervay, tell your doctor immediately. If you suspect an overdose, phone the Poisons Information Centre (13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital, even if there are no signs of discomfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Izervay is designed to slow the progression of geographic atrophy rather than provide immediate vision improvement. You will receive monthly injections for the first year, then monthly or every other month thereafter. The medication works continuously to prevent further retinal cell death.
Your doctor will numb your eye before the injection to reduce or prevent pain. The injection is given directly into the eye by a doctor experienced in this procedure, and your eye pressure will be checked afterward.
Contact your doctor immediately if you develop vision loss, distorted vision, blurry vision, or any changes in vision. Also seek immediate care for signs of eye infection, inflammation, or retinal detachment such as flashes of light, increased floaters, or curtain-like shadows in your vision.
If you miss a scheduled injection, contact your doctor as soon as possible to reschedule. Do not stop treatment without speaking to your doctor first, as stopping may increase your risk of vision loss and worsen your condition.
Izervay is intended to slow down the worsening of geographic atrophy. An improvement in vision or quality of life has not been demonstrated with Izervay – its purpose is to prevent further damage rather than restore lost vision.
Wet AMD is a serious and vision-threatening condition that can be associated with Izervay treatment. It involves the growth of abnormal blood vessels that leak blood and fluid, potentially damaging cells at the back of the eye. Wet AMD requires urgent eye specialist review and treatment.
Izervay may cause blurred vision in some people. You should not drive or use machinery until your eyesight has recovered. Be careful before driving or using any machines until you know how Izervay affects you.
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.