faricimab at a glance
Medicine class
Ocular treatment that inhibits VEGF-A and angiopoietin-2.
Usual uses
Wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular oedema and macular oedema caused by retinal vein occlusion in adults.
Administration
Injected into the vitreous of the eye by an experienced healthcare professional using local anaesthetic and antiseptic preparation.
Driving
Do not drive or use machinery until any temporary blurred or disturbed vision has recovered.
What is faricimab used for?
Faricimab is licensed for adults with retinal disease causing abnormal blood vessels or macular swelling.
Neovascular, or wet, age-related macular degeneration.
Visual impairment caused by diabetic macular oedema.
Visual impairment caused by macular oedema following branch or central retinal vein occlusion.
How does faricimab work?
Faricimab blocks VEGF-A and angiopoietin-2. These proteins contribute to unstable, leaky and abnormal retinal blood vessels; blocking them reduces leakage, inflammation and pathological blood-vessel growth while supporting vascular stability.
faricimab preparations and strengths
Injection
Route: Parenteral
Strengths: 120 mg/mL
How to take faricimab
Faricimab is not self-administered. An eye-care professional injects it into the vitreous of the eye under aseptic conditions after cleaning and numbing the eye.
Tell the eye team about eye pain, redness or infection, glaucoma, recent or planned eye surgery, allergies and previous eye treatments.
Continue other prescribed eye treatments unless your eye-care team advises otherwise.
Do not drive or use machinery while vision remains disturbed.
faricimab side effects
Common or expected effects
- Clouding of the eye lens (cataract).
- A small bleed on the white of the eye.
- Floaters or detachment of the vitreous gel.
- Increased pressure inside the eye.
- Eye pain.
- A retinal pigment epithelial tear in people treated for wet age-related macular degeneration.
Get urgent medical advice
- Infection inside the eye.
- Inflammation inside the eye, including uveitis or vitritis.
- Retinal tear or detachment.
- Retinal vasculitis or occlusive retinal vasculitis.
- Traumatic cataract or significant injection-related injury.
- A serious allergic reaction.
faricimab in pregnancy
Human pregnancy data are absent or limited. Faricimab is generally avoided during pregnancy unless a specialist considers that the potential benefit outweighs the fetal risk. People who could become pregnant should discuss effective contraception with their specialist.
faricimab while breastfeeding
It is unknown whether faricimab enters human milk, and risk to a breastfed child cannot be excluded. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment; discuss whether to pause breastfeeding or avoid treatment with the specialist.
faricimab interactions
Formal interaction studies have not been performed. Tell the eye-care team about all eye and systemic medicines.
Other anti-VEGF medicines
Faricimab should not be given concurrently with another ocular or systemic anti-VEGF treatment because combined use has not been adequately studied.
Common questions about faricimab
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Does a faricimab eye injection hurt?
Anaesthetic drops reduce injection pain. Mild aching, soreness or a gritty feeling can occur afterwards, but severe or increasing pain requires urgent assessment.
What should I expect afterwards?
Temporary discomfort, a small surface bleed, floaters or blurred vision can occur. Contact the eye clinic urgently if symptoms worsen or vision suddenly changes.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.