Dry eye disease affects more than 16 million Americans diagnosed and many more undiagnosed. It ranges from mild irritation to constant pain and vision problems that interfere with reading, driving, and screen time. Current treatments include artificial tears, anti-inflammatory drops like cyclosporine and lifitegrast, and procedures to preserve tears.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing new anti-inflammatory drops, nerve stimulation devices, treatments targeting meibomian gland dysfunction that causes tear evaporation, and drugs that increase tear production through different mechanisms. Researchers are also studying the role of the eye's microbiome and whether targeting specific inflammatory pathways can help people whose dry eye doesn't respond to current treatments.
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Eye drops that block specific inflammation signals are showing promise in trials. These work differently from cyclosporine and may help people who haven't responded to existing treatments.
Neurostimulation devices
Devices that stimulate nerves connected to tear production are being tested as non-drug options. Some are handheld units used at home, others are implanted near the tear glands.
Meibomian gland treatments
New thermal and light-based treatments aim to restore function in the glands that produce the oily layer of tears. When these glands don't work properly, tears evaporate too quickly.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on symptom severity measured by questionnaires, tear production tests, and examination findings showing damage to the eye surface.
What types of trials are currently open
- Anti-inflammatory trials — Testing new eye drops that reduce inflammation through pathways not targeted by current drugs. Most involve drops used once or twice daily for several months.
- Device trials — Testing nerve stimulation devices, thermal treatments for meibomian glands, and light-based therapies that aim to improve tear production or quality.
- Tear production trials — Testing drops that increase tear production by stimulating different receptors on the eye surface.
- Severe dry eye trials — Studies for people with severe symptoms or those who haven't responded to standard treatments, often testing stronger anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Observational studies — Following people with dry eye to understand which factors predict treatment response and how the condition progresses over time.
Recently added Dry Eye Disease trials
The Effectiveness of Systane PRO Preservative Free Verses Blink Triple Care Preservative Free
The goal of this investigational study is to determine if Systane PRO Preservative Free is non-inferior to BLINK TRIPLE CARE in the clinically significant improvement of signs and symptoms of dry eye in patients over 4 weeks.
TRYPTYR as a Treatment for Patients With Dry Eye Disease (DED)
The purpose of this research study is to determine the effectiveness of TRYPTYR as a treatment for Dry Eye Disease. The primary efficacy variable is change from baseline in the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) at week 2. The co-primary efficacy variables are change from baseline in the National Eye Institute (NEI) scale of the cornea and NEI scale of the conjunctiva at 1 month (the third visit).
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