Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Clinical Application of Intense Pulsed Light Therapy and Radio Frequency for Treatment of Ocular Surface Diseases
Published on: July 3, 2025
Clinical trials of therapeutic ocular surface medium for moderate to severe dry eye
Stephanie L Watson1, Julie T Daniels, Gerd Geerling
1Cornea and External Diseases, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom. s.watson@unsw.edu.au
Purpose:
To investigate therapeutic ocular surface medium (TOSM), a potential physiological tear replacement therapy, for moderate to severe dry eye.
Methods:
Forty-six patients with symptoms of moderate to severe dry eye despite maximal standard therapy were enrolled in a prospective pilot study of TOSM over 1 month (n = 10) and a randomized, double-masked, controlled trial of TOSM versus saline (placebo) over 2 months (n = 36). The primary outcome measure was conjunctival rose bengal staining.
Results:
An improvement in conjunctival rose bengal staining by ≥3 points occurred in 7 of 10 patients receiving TOSM in the pilot study (P = 0.017) and in 8 of 18 patients (44%) in the randomized trial (P = 0.982). In the pilot study, subjective dry eye symptoms significantly improved (P = 0.005). TOSM significantly improved the blepharitis score (P = 0.002) and conjunctival impression cytology (P = 0.028) in the randomized controlled trial. There were no serious or irreversible side effects with TOSM.
Conclusions:
TOSM is a physiological tear replacement for dry eye that, unlike autologous serum, can be easily manufactured, could be widely available, and may also be beneficial for blepharitis.
Related Concept Videos
Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Systems
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Clinical Trials: Overview
Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
Microbiome of the Eye
