Ophthalmic insert minimizes dry eye symptoms at 1 month

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — An ophthalmic insert reduced moderate to severe dry eye syndrome after 1 month of treatment, according to a poster presented here.

Jodi Luchs, MD, FACS, and colleagues reported study data at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

Patients with moderate to severe dry eye syndrome received a Lacrisert insert (hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic insert, Aton Pharma).

"The study shows use of Lacrisert results in significant improvements for most patients in dry eye symptoms, in activities of daily living and in patient quality of life," Dr. Luchs said in a press release from Aton Pharma. "The nearly 30% improvement in OSDI scores for severe dry eye patients in 4 weeks suggests that the insert can meaningfully improve the ocular surface for this difficult patient group in a relatively short time."

The multicenter study included 418 patients. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and activities of daily living questionnaires were used to assess symptoms and ocular discomfort at baseline and during treatment. The insert was used once daily alone or in conjunction with existing treatment.

Study data showed that the severe dry eye group had a 29.8% decrease in OSDI scores; the reduction was statistically significant (P < .001). The moderate dry eye group had a decrease of 18.9%, also statistically significant (P = .016).

At baseline, 65.3% of patients scored within the severe dry eye range. After 1 month of therapy, 44% of the group scored within the severe range.

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