New drops target dry eye market

Moorfields Pharmaceuticals has released two products for dry eye conditions.

Emustil has been developed for the treatment of evaporative dry eye conditions and is a meibomian lipid substitute with an action that works with natural tears. The drops form a protective barrier claimed to increase the tear film stability and reduce evaporation of the tear film from the ocular surface.

The preservative-free drops, suitable for contact lens wearers, are a milky-white emulsion which turns clear within 60 seconds of introduction to the conjunctival sac. The manufacturer said clinical trials conducted at Caledonian University had shown them to be a highly effective treatment compared to other artificial tears and significantly reduced the frequency and severity of symptoms of evaporative dry eye.