Dry Eye

Lubricin may be an extremely important barrier to the development of ocular surface damage, such as occurs in dry eye disease (eg.,aging, Sjögren’s syndrome, refractive surgery & contact lens wear).  Topical administration of recombinant human lubricin may alleviate the shear stress (friction) that occurs in dry eye disease preventing the onset of inflammation and greatly improving patient quality of life.

David Sullivan, PhD - Associate Professor Harvard Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology

According to Market Scope, approximately 19 million people in the United States are affected by dry eye disease.  Symptoms related to dry eye are the most frequent cause of patient visits to eye care practitioners. Traditional therapies provide only limited symptomatic relief and dry eye sufferers are desperately seeking new and more effective treatments.

The human eye blinks almost 20,000 times daily!

Blinking cleans the eye and replenishes eye moisture by spreading a thin film of tears across the front surface of the eye. If the tear film is compromised, it may result in increased friction on the ocular surface, inflammation, increased osmolarity, significant pain and ultimately dry eye disease.

Lubricin, which is naturally found on the ocular surface, may play an important role in eye health and comfort by preventing friction between the cornea and conjunctiva which reduces shear stress (such as during eye blinking) to prevent eye injury at the corneal and ocular surface. In patients suffering from moderate to severe dry eye, lubricin is diminished and the act of blinking causes significant discomfort.

Topical administration of recombinant human lubricin may provide superior reduction in the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease compared to existing treatments by preventing friction and wear on the ocular surface and restoring homeostasis to the tear film.  Additionally, a Lubricin-coated contact lens may help improve biocompatibility and extend wear time.