Clinical Outcomes And Eye Care Practitioner Satisfaction With Artelac Dry Eye Lubricating Drops In Patients With Dry Eye Disease: A Retrospective Real-World Evidence Study

Ocular lubricants are a common first-line treatment option for the management of dry eye disease (DED). Artelac (AT) is a range of preservative-free, multiple-action eye drops for use in patients with DED; Artelac Complete (AC) is a tear substitute (0.24% sodium hyaluronate, carbomer, glycerin, a lipid component [medium-chain triglycerides], sodium hydroxide, and water for injection) that alleviates the symptoms of DED by supporting the tear film. However, evidence for the use of AT in real-world clinical practice is limited. This study aimed to explore real-world patient characteristics, utilisation patterns, and clinical outcomes with AT, including AC, in patients with DED.

This retrospective, multi-country, cross-sectional case review and survey study included eye care practitioners (ECPs) from Dubai, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the USA.

ECPs were required to have ≥3 years’ experience treating patients with DED and ≥1 years’ experience with the study drops. ECPs provided a deidentified, retrospective convenience sample of ≥5 cases using a standardised case report form and completed a user experience survey documenting clinical practice characteristics, lubricating eye drop utilisation patterns in DED, real-world clinical outcomes, and ECP satisfaction with the study drops. This sub-analysis focuses on ECP cross-sectional survey outcomes for AT and cases with AC. The study received institutional review board exemption.

This interim analysis included 59 patients (65 eyes) with AC use from 6 ECPs. Mean±standard error (SE) patient age was 50.4±2.4 years; 68% were female. At a mean±SE follow-up of 9.6±1.2 weeks, mean±SE improvements from baseline in tear film break-up time and Schirmer test score were 5.0±0.4 s (n=63 eyes) and 2.8±0.6 mm (n=56 eyes), respectively. No tolerability or safety concerns were reported. Twelve ECPs completed the survey; most recommended AT for all DED severities (83% [10/12]), perioperative use (preoperative, 100% [12/12]; postoperative, 92% [11/12]), and for contact lens-related DED (induced, 83% [10/12]; exacerbated, 75% [9/12]). All ECPs rated overall satisfaction with AT ≥7/10 (scale: 0 [very dissatisfied], 10 [very satisfied]).

In this real-world retrospective case review and survey study, AC was observed to be clinically effective in patients with DED, with no tolerability or safety concerns, and ECPs were highly satisfied with the wider AT range of dry eye lubricating drops.