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For US Healthcare Professionals

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)

Monitoring your vision

It’s important to stay on top of your eye health

Let your Retina Specialist know of any changes in your vision right away

SLIDE TO SEE HOW WET AMD CAN AFFECT YOUR VISION:

Normal vision

With normal vision, the Amsler grid looks like straight horizontal and vertical black lines with a dot at the center

Normal vision (left)

With normal vision, the Amsler grid looks like straight horizontal and vertical black lines with a dot at the center

Amsler Grid normal
Amsler Grid Impaired

Impaired vision

With wet AMD, the grid may appear wavy with broken or distorted lines and dark, blurry areas, especially in the center

Impaired vision (right)

With wet AMD, the grid may appear wavy with broken or distorted lines and dark, blurry areas, especially in the center

You can test your vision at home with a simple eye test called the Amsler grid.

DOWNLOAD AMSLER GRID

How to use the Amsler grid:

Eyeglasses (icon)

Step 1:

If you normally wear glasses, keep them on while looking at the grid

Normal reading distance (icon)

Step 2:

Keep the grid at a normal reading distance—about 14-16 inches away

Cover right eye (icon)

Step 3:

Cover one eye to check the other eye’s vision

Grid with center dot (icon)

Step 4:

Look directly at the dot in the center of the grid

Cover left eye (icon)

Step 5:

Switch to the other eye and repeat

Eyeglasses (icon)

Step 1:

If you normally wear glasses, keep them on while looking at the grid

Normal reading distance (icon)

Step 2:

Keep the grid at a normal reading distance—about 14-16 inches away

Cover right eye (icon)

Step 3:

Cover one eye to check the other eye’s vision

Grid with center dot (icon)

Step 4:

Look directly at the dot in the center of the grid

Cover left eye (icon)

Step 5:

Switch to the other eye and repeat

Check your vision at least once a week.

Talk to your Retina Specialist if you notice missing corners, dark or blank spots, or blurry, distorted, or wavy lines.

GET ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is VABYSMO?

VABYSMO (faricimab-svoa) is a prescription medicine given by injection into the eye, used to treat adults with Neovascular (Wet) Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME).

Do not receive VABYSMO if you:

  • have an infection in or around your eye. 
  • have active swelling around your eye that may include pain and redness. 
  • are allergic to VABYSMO or any of the ingredients in VABYSMO.

What is the most important information I should know about VABYSMO?

  • Injections like the one for VABYSMO can cause an eye infection (endophthalmitis) or separation of layers of the retina (retinal detachment). Call your healthcare provider right away if you have increasing eye pain, vision loss, sensitivity to light, or redness in the white of the eye.
  • VABYSMO may cause a temporary increase in pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure), which occurs 60 minutes after the injection. 
  • Although not common, VABYSMO patients have had serious, sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes (thromboembolic events). In clinical studies for wet AMD during the first year, 7 out of 664 patients treated with VABYSMO reported such an event. In DME studies during the first year, 25 out of 1,262 patients treated with VABYSMO reported such an event.

Before receiving VABYSMO, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Based on how VABYSMO interacts with your body, there may be a potential risk to your unborn baby. You should use birth control before your first injection, during your treatment with VABYSMO, and for 3 months after your last dose of VABYSMO. 
  • Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if VABYSMO passes into your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you receive VABYSMO.
  • Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What should I avoid while receiving VABYSMO? 

  • Your vision may be impaired after receiving an eye injection or after an eye exam; do not drive or use machinery until your vision has recovered sufficiently.  

What are the most common side effects with VABYSMO?

  • The most common side effect with VABYSMO was blood on the white of the eye (conjunctival hemorrhage).
  • These are not all the possible side effects of VABYSMO. 

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555. 

Please see the VABYSMO full Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information.