Mark Andrews is a paid Genentech partner. These are his personal experiences and may not reflect the experiences of all patients.
IN LATE OCTOBER 2024, not long recovered from a leg injury the previous season, Mark Andrews found a gap in the opponent’s defense, turned, and hauled in a nine-yard catch to set the record for most touchdown receptions in team history.
Asked about the milestone after the game, the star tight end expressed gratitude to his team and football legends who have come before him. “I can’t do this alone—none of us can,” Andrews explained at the time. “It’s the guys that block. It’s … the guys that I’ve played with. And the guys that have done this before, that have been able to pave the way. So, I’m thankful for all that.”
That attitude is what fans have come to expect from the tight end. Most people associate Andrews with record-setting talent, humility, and a team-first attitude. But few know that he has managed type 1 diabetes (T1D) since age 9, a condition demanding the same daily attention and consistency he’s known for on the field. From the initial diagnosis all the way through high school, he got the support from his team at home—his father, who’s a doctor, and his mother, who Andrews calls “a super mom”—to show him the path toward managing his condition.
Now at 30, Andrews is focused on raising awareness and advocating for others with type 1 diabetes, empowering them with the knowledge that comprehensive diabetes care means taking care of their whole body, including their eyes.
Keeping Eye Health in Focus
AS SOMEONE WHO catches footballs for a living, Andrews places special attention on his eyes. People with diabetes—including more than 34 million Americans—are at increased risk for developing eye issues. Left unchecked, damage to blood vessels can lead to complications like diabetic macular edema (DME), a condition that can cause vision loss and affects around 750,000 people in the United States.
The risk of developing DME can be lowered by keeping blood sugar levels under control, as well as managing blood pressure and lowering cholesterol through a healthy lifestyle. Equally important for preventing DME is getting an eye exam at least once a year. For anyone living with diabetes, regular eye scans are critical because they allow doctors to catch potential issues, like DME.
“I’ve seen an eye doctor yearly since I was 9 years old, and it’s always a point of emphasis to monitor my vision as part of my diabetes treatment plan,” he says. “Today, taking care of my eyes allows my vision to be where it needs to be so I can perform at the highest level.”
Andrews knows that even if his condition were to change, there are advanced treatments available to help preserve his sight.
One such option is VABYSMO® (faricimab-svoa), an FDA-approved prescription medicine given by injection into the eye used to treat adults with DME. As the first bispecific antibody approved for the eyes, it is believed to target two pathways that contribute to vision loss.* After initial treatment with four monthly injections, patients with DME may receive VABYSMO injections as infrequently as once every four months. Knowing that treatment options are available gives Andrews a sense of control over his future. It’s precisely this feeling of empowerment that he aims to share, inspiring him to transform his personal journey into a public mission.
Injections like the one for Vabysmo can cause an eye infection; separation of layers of the retina; a temporary increase in pressure in the eye, and problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes. They can also cause swelling inside the eye that in rare circumstances can cause blockage or narrowing of the blood vessels that carry blood to and from the retina. These are not all possible side effects. For more information, talk to your eye doctor and visit Vabysmo.com for the full Prescribing Information.
*VABYSMO is thought to block the VEGF and Ang-2 proteins. The benefit of blocking Ang-2 has yet to be established.
Turning His Platform Into Purpose
THROUGH HIS DILIGENCE with lifestyle and regular eye exams, Andrews says he’s never had a fluctuation in his blood sugar impact him during a game. But even so, there have been instances at practice where he has gotten dizzy and come close to passing out. “No one’s perfect,” he says. “Like other diabetics, I’ve experienced the day-to-day complications of my blood sugar being too low or too high.”
Andrews still gives a lot of credit to his parents for helping him to prepare for the challenges of type 1 diabetes and learning how to manage it. He hopes to share their knowledge and similarly help others through his support of diabetes research and advocacy groups, hosting children with type 1 diabetes at games, and inspiring kids to be the best version of themselves.
Andrews won’t let diabetes define him and he wants to ensure that others won’t either. “Using one of the biggest platforms has always been something I don’t take lightly,” Andrews says. “I want to bring light to the importance of managing diabetes and show kids, people, and their families that with proper care, they can achieve anything they set their mind to.”
Take a page from Mark Andrews’ playbook by making your eye health a priority. If you have diabetes, ensure you’re getting a comprehensive eye exam every single year.
About Vabysmo® (faricimab-svoa)
Vabysmo is the first bispecific antibody approved for the eye. It targets and inhibits two signaling pathways linked to a number of vision-threatening retinal conditions by neutralizing angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). While research is underway to better understand the role of the Ang-2 pathway in retinal disease, Ang-2 and VEGF-A are thought to contribute to vision loss by destabilizing blood vessels, which may cause new leaky blood vessels to form and increase inflammation. Thought to block pathways involving Ang-2 and VEGF-A, Vabysmo is designed to stabilize blood vessels.
Vabysmo U.S. Indications
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), diabetic macular edema (DME) and macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
Important Safety Information
Contraindications
Vabysmo is contraindicated in patients who have an infection in or around their eye, have active swelling around their eye that may include pain and redness, or are allergic to Vabysmo or any of the ingredients in Vabysmo.
Warnings and Precautions
- Injections like the one for Vabysmo can cause an eye infection (endophthalmitis) or separation of layers of the retina (retinal detachment). Patients should seek medical care if they experience 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 from baseline to week 100, 64 out of 1,262 patients treated with Vabysmo reported such an event. In clinical studies for RVO during 6 months, 7 out of 641 patients treated with Vabysmo reported such an event.
- Retinal vasculitis and/or retinal vascular occlusion, typically in the presence of intraocular inflammation, have been reported with the use of Vabysmo. Healthcare providers should discontinue treatment with Vabysmo in patients who develop these events. Patients should be instructed to report any change in vision without delay.
Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions (≥5%) reported in patients receiving Vabysmo were cataract (15%) and blood on the white of the eye (conjunctival hemorrhage, 8%). These are not all the possible side effects of Vabysmo.
Pregnancy, Lactation, Females and Males of Reproductive Potential
- Based on how Vabysmo interacts with your body, there may be a potential risk to an unborn baby. Patients should use birth control before their first injection, during their treatment with Vabysmo, and for 3 months after their last dose of Vabysmo.
- It is not known if Vabysmo passes into breast milk. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about the best way to feed their baby if they receive Vabysmo.
Patients may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Patients may also report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.
Please see additional Important Safety Information in the full Vabysmo Prescribing Information or visit https://www.Vabysmo.com.
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