Eylea is a type of anti-VEGF drug known as a fusion protein and is directly injected into the eye to treat wet AMD. Eylea targets VEGF, as well as another protein called Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), which has also been found in excess amounts in the retina of people with wet AMD. After 3 monthly injections, injections of Eylea every other month show comparable effectiveness with monthly injections of Lucentis.

Clinical trials of about 2,400 people with wet AMD compared monthly 0.5 mg injections of Lucentis with injections of 2 mg Eylea given monthly for three months, and then given every other month. After one year of treatment, bimonthly Eylea was shown to improve or maintain vision in AMD patients at a level comparable to monthly Lucentis. The safety of both drugs was also comparable. Overall, patients who were given Eylea needed fewer injections to achieve the safe effectiveness as monthly injections of Lucentis.

Commonly reported side effects of Eylea include conjunctival hemorrhage, retinal hemorrhage, and reduced visual acuity. Serious complications of injections in the eye include endophthalmitis (infection) and retinal detachment.