Patients with severe dry eye disease experienced reduced signs and symptoms in response to a new eye drop treatment, according to researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
A small, early trial tested the enzyme-based drugs in participants whose dry eyes did not respond to other medications. Those who used the eye drops had statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in corneal damage at eight weeks when compared with a control group, said study lead Sandeep Jain, M.D.
“Participants in the trial who used the drops … reported less eye discomfort and their corneas were healthier,” Jain said in a statement.
The drops use a biosynthetic form of an enzyme called DNase, which helps reduce inflammation on the surface of the eye, Jain said. The researchers are planning larger randomized trials to prove the drug’s efficacy.
Dry eye disease is common in older adults, affecting 18% of people aged 75 and older, according to the American Optometric Association. It can lead to disabling eye pain and sensitivity to light in severe cases.
The findings were reported in the journal The Ocular Surface.
