Dry Eye Disease (DED) is a lack of quality lubrication that can lead to an inflammatory cycle of the ocular surface.1,2

Dry Eye Disease: a lack of quality lubrication can lead to an inflammatory cycle of the ocular surface
Multifactorial disease 2,3
  • Involves a range of ocular structures:
    • Ocular surface (cornea, conjunctiva, accessory lacrimal glands)
    • Meibomian glands
    • Innervation between the ocular surface and meibomian glands
Epidemiology
  • Prevalence data varies but as many as 5-50% of people could be affected globally4
  • Risk factors include age, gender, nutrition, genetic background, disease history and high use of digital screens3,4
  • Annual cost to US health system is estimated to be US $3.84 billion4
Symptoms and disease burden 3
  • Tear film instability
  • Ocular discomfort including redness, burning, and stinging
  • Visual disturbance
  • Potential damage to the ocular surface
  • Poorer quality of life (impaired ability to perform day-to-day tasks)
Unmet medical needs
  • Over-the-counter eye drops, the standard of care for DED, often have limited success in moderate-to-severe DED3,5
  • Many DED products have short duration of effect, delayed onset of action and poor patient tolerability6
  • Many treatments do not effectively address the signs, symptoms, and underlying pathogenic mechanisms of DED7

References

  1. Baudouin C, et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2016; 100:300306;
  2. Craig JP, et al. Ocul Surf. 2017;15(3):276-283;
  3. Messmer EM. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2015;112(5):71-82;
  4. Stapleton F, et al. Ocul Surf. 2017;15(3):334-365;
  5. Kim M, et al. BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2021; 6: e000697;
  6. Shen Lee B, et al. Clin Ophthalmol. 2020; 14:119-126;
  7. Aragona P, et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2021;105(4):446-453.

Additional resources

Dry Eye Disease (DED) Development, symptoms, and triggers (PDF, 21 MB)

Dry Eye: Misunderstanding a Potentially Debilitating Disease - Eyetube

Optimizing the diagnosis and management of patients with dry eye disease - Eyetube

Dry Eye Disease: The Patients’ Perspective - Eyetube