Peering into the Dry Eye Pipeline for 2023 and Beyond

The global prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) ranges between approximately 5% and 50% and engenders a substantial socioeconomic burden. In the past decade, an unprecedented collaboration between industry and the vision sciences has spawned numerous potential therapeutic agents for DED. Many of these options possess novel mechanisms of action, potentially allowing clinicians to better tailor their treatment of patients suffering from DED. This review covers several specific pipeline drugs, such as lotilaner, perfluorohexyloctane, and cyclosporine A, along with broader drug classes such as reactive aldehyde species inhibitors, keratolytics, and mitochondrial reactive oxidative species scavengers. This review will summarize the promise and efficacy of upcoming dry eye disease treatments through the lens of data from USA-based phase II and phase III clinical trials.