Sandoz Launches Afqlir (Aflibercept) in Europe, Increasing Access to Affordable Retinal Disease Treatment

Sandoz has officially launched Afqlir (aflibercept), a biosimilar to Eylea, across Europe, providing a more affordable treatment for serious retinal diseases such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), diabetic macular oedema (DME), and myopic choroidal neovascularisation (mCNV)1 3 4 5 13.

Afqlir received European Commission marketing authorization in November 2024, after comprehensive analytical, preclinical, and clinical evaluations confirmed its equivalence in efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics to the reference drug Eylea2 3 4 7 10 11 15.

Afqlir is supplied as a 2 mg vial kit and a pre-filled syringe for intravitreal injection, targeting and inhibiting VEGF-A and placental growth factor to slow disease progression and help maintain or improve vision2 4 8.

The launch began in the UK in November 2025 and will extend to major markets such as Germany and France, with broader European availability planned for 20261 3.

Sandoz highlights that Afqlir’s introduction addresses two key challenges:
broadening patient access thanks to a lower-cost option and supporting the sustainability of healthcare systems strained by the high cost of existing anti-VEGF treatments1 3 13.

The availability of affordable biosimilars like Afqlir is expected to boost access to care as demand for anti-VEGF therapies continues to rise due to an aging population and growing prevalence of retinal diseases1 3 13.

This launch further strengthens Sandoz's portfolio in biosimilars and is part of a broader effort by the company to expand in the ophthalmology market, valued at approximately USD 15 billion1 3.