Australia’s Dry Eye Centre of Excellence

Lifitegrast “Xiidra” Eye Drops

Summary

Xiidra is a prescription eye drop used to treat dry eye.
Blocks two key molecules that cause inflammation in dry eye
First drug since Restasis to be approved by the US FDA
Now available in Australia

Detailed Review

Until about the 1990s many scientists thought ‘dry eye’ was simply caused by tears drying up. As a result, many artificial tear products were produced to try and replace these tears. Despite so many of them though, there were only a few different types of key ingredients, and for many people tear supplements did not work at all. Roughly since the early 2000s, there was a shift in thinking about what causes dry eye. One fact that lead to this was that scientists learned that ocular surface inflammation is a big part of the problem. There was no doubt that tears could dry up, but scientists started thinking a lot more about why that was happening.

Unfortunately, inflammation is a complex subject. It’s the body’s response to perceived injury. Many textbooks over the years have said inflammation causes redness, heat, swelling and pain, and loss of function. An analogy would be a battlefield; two sides are fighting each other; in this case, it’s the body versus the irritant or infecting organisms. The body’s immune system fighting the invader causes chaos, just like a real battlefield. The result is the signs and symptoms of dry eye.

Xiidra is a relatively new drug. It was developed to treat ocular surface inflammation and approved for use in Australia in 2019. Lifitegrast is the active ingredient in Xiidra. It is thought to block a few of the key steps that cause inflammation. However, it is still not known exactly how it works. It’s probably too early to make conclusions about Xiidra. However, it represents a clear shift in thinking from basic lubricating tear supplements.

Should I use Xiidra?

Xiidra is now available in Australia. It is only available by prescription. As with any prescription medication, it is important to discuss its suitability with an experienced eye-care professional.