2022 - Trials of Tomorrow: The Latest Technologies Advancing Dry Eye Disease Research

The quintessential post-menopausal female dry eye disease patient has now become entirely obsolete. Dry eye disease is an extremely prevalent ocular condition worldwide and with both environmental and genetic factors playing a role, affecting people of all ages and genders. Everyone has come across a loved one or a friend suffering from the signs and symptoms of dry eyes, unable to find relief with their current methods to manage it.
While clinical trials in dry eye disease have been conducted for decades, significant advancements over the past several years have created new approaches to standardize processes, harmonize systems and speed up successful trial completion. In the past, treatments for dry eye disease have solely focused on replenishing tears, but with further understanding of various etiologies of this condition, a polypharmacy approach can be taken to manage this multifactorial disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated innovation in telehealth, hybrid healthcare partnering in-person visits with online tools and new technologies with at-home patient data capture capabilities. These far-reaching changes have huge implications for patient care quality and treatment access, potentially reinventing doctor-patient dynamics with advanced technology.
Equally exciting is the news that this evolution in healthcare is now making its way to clinical trials. New tools, technologies and regulatory changes are leading to significant shifts in trial design and execution. Various innovative methods and devices are being utilized to standardize clinical trial processes, reduce variability and increase the likelihood of success for drug development. Hybrid or decentralized approaches are opening access to a more diverse patient population, while new technologies generate endpoints that strengthen environmental studies and better assess therapeutic impact on quality of life, all while reducing the burden on sites and impact on budgets of pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Register to hear the featured speakers discuss how dry eye disease ophthalmic trials are embracing new technologies to accelerate programs and gain better insights into product efficacy.