Dry eye

In 2020, the global market for dry eye treatments is expected to reach € 5.47 billion and will be much more competitive than today.

Considering the treatment options currently available and the process of refining diagnostic techniques, there is still room for the development of new therapies, as Dr Stephanie Watson of the Save Sight Institute in Sydney, Australia, told the 5th EuCornea Congress (London 12 - 13 September 2014).
Over the past 10 years, as many as 14 companies in the US have failed to obtain FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval for their products, while in parallel they have achieved their goal in Europe and Asia. In the US, the main obstacle to approvals has been the difficulties associated with carrying out appropriate clinical trials on dry eye. These difficulties stem mainly from the fact that dry eye includes a variety of conditions, characterised by different symptoms and often signs and symptoms are not correlated (see A new approach to dry eye Michael A. Lemp (English text)). Furthermore, dry eye can be a manifestation of various systemic diseases, so the population to be treated is extremely heterogeneous. This situation has often prompted companies to cut development costs and propose reformulations of existing products.
An innovative push will probably come from the consolidation of knowledge concerning the inflammatory component of this disease, which is the basis of countless product pipelines currently in progress, especially with regard to steroid and non-steroid drugs

Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile