A National Survey Including Data from 5986 Dry Eyes Treated with a Novel Tear Substitute Containing Ribohyal

Background: Dry Eye Disease (DED) is a multifactorial condition with an impact on quality of life and an often suboptimal response to conventional lubricants. This study aimed at evaluating the real-world efficacy, tolerability, and patient adherence of a therapy with a novel ophthalmic solution containing Ribohyal, a riboflavin-hyaluronic acid complex, used in patients with DED. Methods: This national survey included data from adult patients with clinically diagnosed DED treated with Lacrinova eye drops (4 times/day for 3 months) whose data were collected from 82 Italian ophthalmologists. Patients were assessed before (T0) and after treatment (T1). Outcomes included patient-reported symptoms for 9 domains (0-10 numerical rating scale), objective clinical parameters (best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA], break-up time [BUT], and corneal fluorescein staining [CFS]), and treatment acceptability. Results: Data from 2993 patients (5986 eyes) were analyzed. Improvements were observed across all 9 symptom domains, with reductions ranging from 53% to 60% (all p < 0.001). BCVA and BUT significantly improved (from 0.08 ± 0.22 at T0 to 0.06 ± 0.19 logMAR at T1 and from 9.20 ± 4.49 to 11.85 ± 4.66 s at T1, respectively, both p < 0.001). The prevalence of CFS decreased from 42.0% to 23.4% (p < 0.001). Treatment acceptability was high, with mean scores of 8.88± 1.49 for tolerability, 8.55 ± 1.63 for adherence, and 8.62 ± 1.55 for perceived efficacy. No relevant adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Lacrinova eye drops demonstrated significant improvements in both symptoms and clinical signs of DED, with excellent tolerability and adherence. These findings support its use as an effective therapeutic option in routine clinical practice, although controlled studies are warranted to confirm the efficacy.