Integrin inhibition as a potential treatment for dry eye

Article

Novel treatment lifitegrast could fulfil unmet need in therapy

Dry eye disease is a multifactorial disease of the tear film and ocular surface that produces symptoms of chronic ocular discomfort.1 An estimated 25 million people in western Europe have dry eye disease and the prevalence is increasing as the general population is ageing.2

Over the past decade, significant progress has been made into understanding the basic pathophysiology observed in dry eye disease. An emerging body of research has provided insights into the chronic inflammatory nature of dry eye and revealed potential clues for the design of novel treatments.3,4

Currently, only cyclosporine emulsion (0.05%) is approved in the US for dry eye; no pharmaceutical dry eye treatments are approved in Europe. Cyclosporine is approved for increasing tear production after 24 weeks of treatment and not approved for relief of symptoms.

Inhibition of T-cell activation and trafficking to sites of inflammation

Newsletter

Join ophthalmologists across Europe—sign up for exclusive updates and innovations in surgical techniques and clinical care.

Recent Videos
Robert Sergott, MD, describes fluorescence lifetime imaging ophthalmoscopy (FLIO) and the International SPECTRALIS Symposium – And Beyond (ISS) in Heidelberg, Germany.
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, spoke with Ophthalmology Times Europe about his presentation. It's titled "An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma" at the International SPECTRALIS Sympsoium. In conversation with Hattie Hayes, Ophthalmology Times Europe
Anat Loewenstein, MD, describes her presentation on remote imaging for age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium, in conversation with Hattie Hayes of Ophthalmology Times Europe
Tyson Brunstetter, OD, PhD, a US Navy Aerospace Optometrist at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, shares key takeaways from his keynote at the International SPECTRALIS Symposium (ISS)
Rayaz Malik, MBChB, PhD, shares his presentation, titled An eye on neurodegenerative diseases: Challenging the dogma, at this year's International SPECTRALIS Symposium
At the Retina World Congress, Siegfried Priglinger, MD, speaks about ensuring the best outcomes for preschool-aged patients
At the 2025 ASCRS meeting, Robert Ang, MD said small aperture IOLs can benefit all patients, especially those with complex corneas or who have undergone previous corneal refractive surgery
Viha Vig, MBChB graduate student at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, discusses her poster presentation on the relationship between mitochondiral disease, Alzheimer disease, and other types of dementia.
Alfredo Sadun, MD, PhD, chief of Ophthalmology at the Doheny Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, shared exciting new research with the Eye Care Network during the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting on the subject of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON).
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.