Novel hydroxypropyl-guar gellable lubricant eye drops for treatment of dry eye

OBJECTIVE|: The objective of this review is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of polyethylene glycol 400/propylene glycol/hydroxypropyl-guar (Systane® Ultra [PEG/PG with HP-guar], Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX, USA) lubricant eye drops in reducing the signs and symptoms of dry-eye disease. METHODS|: A systematic literature search utilizing MEDLINE was conducted to identify peer-reviewed articles related to dry-eye disease and PEG/PG with HP-guar lubricant eye drops. The search covered the period prior to October 2009. Additionally, a manual search based on citations in the published literature was conducted. RESULTS|: The PEG/PG with HP-guar artificial tears shows in-vitro viscoelastic properties with pH optimization. The pH of the solution adjusts to the pH of the ocular surface upon instillation, which results in tear film elasticity and viscosity similar to that of subjects without dry-eye disease. The reviewed literature demonstrated that this delivery system showed a reduction in corneal and conjunctival staining in dryeye disease, an improvement in tear film stability, a low coefficient of friction in an in-vitro model, and improved maintenance of best-corrected visual acuity over time. CONCLUSION|: A few small-sized studies with short-term follow-up demonstrated that PEG/PG with HP-guar is a safe and effective lubricant eye drops for the treatment of dry-eye disease. Larger studies with longer duration are warranted to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of this formulation in patients with dry.eye disease.