Eylea (aflibercept) is a prescription injection that treats certain eye diseases. Eylea’s cost may depend on your treatment plan, whether you have health insurance, and which doctor’s office you use to receive the injection.

Eylea is prescribed for adults and some children to treat certain retinal diseases of the eye including:

Eylea contains the active ingredient aflibercept. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) It comes as a liquid solution in a vial or prefilled syringe. Your doctor will inject Eylea directly into your eye.

For more details on Eylea, see this in-depth article.

The price you pay for Eylea can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan and your health insurance coverage (if you have it). It will also depend on how much you have to pay for an office visit with your doctor to receive Eylea injections.

To find out how much you’ll pay for Eylea, talk with your doctor or insurance provider.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Eylea and cost.

What’s the cost of Eylea vs. Avastin?

The cost of Eylea versus Avastin (bevacizumab) can depend on your insurance coverage and the condition you’re using it to treat. Eylea and Avastin are both anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections. But only Eylea is approved to treat retinal diseases.

Avastin is typically used to treat certain kinds of cancer. But it may be prescribed off-label to treat macular degeneration. With off-label use, doctors prescribe a drug for a purpose other than what it’s approved for. Using a drug off-label may affect whether your insurance decides to cover treatment.

If you have questions about the cost and uses of Avastin compared with those of Eylea, talk with your doctor.

How much does Eylea cost with Medicare?

It depends. Certain Medicare plans may cover the cost of Eylea. Your doctor may need to submit documents to explain why you need Eylea for treating your eye condition. Before Eylea is covered for you, your Medicare plan provider may need to approve the treatment.

To find out whether Medicare will cover the cost of Eylea for you, speak with your plan provider.

Eylea is a biologic drug, which means it’s made from parts of living organisms. It doesn’t come in a biosimilar form. Biosimilars are like generic drugs. Unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologic drugs.

Why is there such a cost difference between biologic drugs and biosimilar drugs?

Biologic drugs can be expensive because of the research and testing needed to ensure their safety and effectiveness. The drug manufacturer of a biologic drug can sell it for up to 12 years. When the biologic drug’s patent expires, other drug manufacturers can create biosimilar versions. This competition in the market may lead to lower costs for biosimilars. And because biosimilars are very similar to biologic drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower costs for biosimilars.

If you need help covering the cost of Eylea or understanding your insurance, check out these resources:

On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

If you have insurance, you may need to get prior authorization before your insurance provider will cover Eylea. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss Eylea in regard to your treatment. Then the insurance company will determine whether the drug is covered. If Eylea requires prior authorization and you don’t receive it before you start treatment, you could pay the full cost of the drug.

Be sure to ask your insurance company whether Eylea requires prior authorization.