What's new in dry eye research today? | Sep 18, 2026

【Title】Dry Eye Disease Therapies at a Crossroads-A Call for Reform

【Journal】JAMA Ophthalmology

【Authors】Esen K Akpek; Meron Haile; John Gonzales; et al.

【Summary】Dry eye disease (DED) is a growing global public health concern that can impair visual quality and vision-related quality of life. Since topical cyclosporine 0.05% became the first FDA-approved DED medication in 2003, the therapeutic landscape has expanded substantially, with 8 prescription agents currently available in the United States, including 5 introduced within the past 5 years. Despite this expansion, treatment dissatisfaction and medication discontinuation remain common concerns. The authors question whether current evidentiary standards are sufficient for evaluating and selecting DED therapies and call for reforms to improve the clinical relevance and effectiveness of DED treatment development and assessment.

【Title】Short-term adjunctive use of a liposomal tear substitute after repeated intravitreal therapy: a randomized pilot study

【Journal】Int Ophthalmol

【Authors】Carlo Cagini; Marco Messina; Tito Fiore; et al.

【Summary】This randomized pilot study evaluated whether a liposomal tear substitute containing cross-linked hyaluronic acid, trehalose, and stearylamine could reduce dry eye-like signs and symptoms in patients receiving repeated intravitreal therapy. Ninety patients aged over 50 years with age-related macular degeneration or other retinal diseases requiring anti-VEGF treatment were randomized to standard therapy alone or standard therapy plus the tear substitute. After 15 days, the adjunctive-treatment group showed significant improvements in DEQ-5, OSDI, TBUT, and Schirmer test results, whereas the control group showed no significant changes in DEQ-5 or OSDI and a significant reduction in TBUT. These findings suggest that short-term adjunctive use of the liposomal tear substitute may help mitigate ocular surface impairment associated with repeated intravitreal treatment.