Study: Xiidra Significantly Reduces End-of-Day Dryness and Discomfort in Contact Lens Wearers
Bausch + Lomb announced that Clinical Ophthalmology has published results from a company-sponsored, investigator-initiated clinical study evaluating the effectiveness of Xiidra (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution) 5% in alleviating end-of-day (EOD) eye dryness and discomfort in symptomatic contact lens wearers.
Xiidra, a prescription eye drop approved for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED), works by targeting a source of inflammation. The findings from this study reinforce results from four prior clinical trials showing that Xiidra significantly reduced dry eye symptoms over 12 weeks, according to B+L.
“Although the use of OTC rewetting drops provides temporary relief for some wearers, their benefit is only moderate and contact lens discomfort typically worsens as the day progresses,” said Andrew Stewart, president, Global Pharmaceuticals and International Consumer, Bausch + Lomb. “This study showed that Xiidra may be a suitable alternative for symptomatic contact lens wearers who can’t achieve comfort or relieve dryness by switching their contact lenses or using OTC drops.”
The prospective, open-label study was independently conducted by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, with Bausch + Lomb providing study medication and funding.
Study details:
Population: 40 symptomatic soft contact lens wearers
Intervention: Xiidra twice daily for 12 weeks, while continuing normal lens wear
Endpoints: End-of-day dryness and discomfort assessed via visual analog scale (VAS; 0–100, 100 worst) and Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire-8 (CLDEQ-8)
Key outcomes (all results P<0.01):
Primary endpoints met: Significant improvement in CL-related EOD dryness and discomfort over 12 weeks
VAS improvement: Median scores improved by 61 points for dryness and 59 points for discomfort by week 12
Early response: Significant symptom relief observed at 2 and 6 weeks, with nearly half of participants (45%) showing such strong improvement at 2 weeks that they would no longer have met eligibility criteria
CLDEQ-8 scores: Significant reductions at weeks 2, 6, and 12; 90% of participants achieved ≥3-point clinically meaningful improvement by study end
Symptom relief: Improvements across all five VAS symptoms (burning/stinging, itching, foreign body sensation, photophobia, and pain) were seen as early as 2 weeks
Lens wear time: Comfortable wear time increased from 6.5 hours at baseline to 9.1 hours at week 12, though total wear time remained unchanged
Safety: Xiidra was generally well tolerated, with only two treatment-related adverse events reported
“The significant improvements in symptoms of end-of-day dryness and discomfort for contact lens wearers in as little as two weeks highlighted the effectiveness of Xiidra, even after a short period of use,” said Marc-Matthias Schulze, PhD, principal investigator and senior clinical scientist at CORE. “Additionally, results showed continued use of Xiidra throughout the study further improved symptoms, demonstrating that Xiidra remains an effective treatment over time and may allow contact lens wearers to enjoy their lenses throughout the entire day.”