Recent advances in drug treatments for dry eye disease.

INTRODUCTION: Dry eye disease (DED) is a common ocular condition with a significant impact on patients' quality of life. Conventional treatments include behavioral changes, tear substitutes and anti-inflammatory agents; however, recent advances in the understanding of DED pathogenesis have opened the way to the development of novel treatment strategies able to target several pathways involved in the onset and persistence of DED.

AREAS COVERED: Literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus around the term 'dry eye disease' and others involving its pathophysiology and therapeutic strategy. Primary focus were recent drugs approved by FDA or under investigation in phase 3 clinical trials. Google and ClinicalTrials.gov were used for obtaining information about the status of FDA approval and ongoing clinical trials.

EXPERT OPINION: Due to its multifaced pathogenesis, DED management is often challenging, and patients' needs are frequently unmet. Recently, several novel treatments have been either FDA-approved or studied in late phase trials. These novel drugs target specific biological components of the ocular surface, reduce inflammation and ocular pain. Additionally, new drug delivery systems allow for increased bioavailability, improve effective dosing, and minimize ocular side effects. These advances in drug therapies show real promises for better management of DED patients.