Are they ever going to find a cure?

[epicjinx]

I'd say if there is no inflammation and no signs of mgd, then no id say just stick with plugs, ironically I have mild mgd and allergies causing mild inflammation my allergies got better and supposedly my mgd did too. Also mgd doesn't go away sadly, if your eyes are still dry after warm compress its cause of the evaporating usually you can get mixed problems too, so you might have gotten it? Not sure just thinking. As for the topic of this lacritin is new, ML-7 for mgd is new, and japan is currently trying to replicate the organs for lacrimal glands, also they found another cell that can help damaged lacrimal glands and a bit more I think. I hope itll speed up with the petition as I spoke to both the people for ml-7, and lacritin telling me both will be out in about 4 years, in America... its no use to me as I'm in the uk supposedly getting better but not feeling it.

[romeodakins]

So it's been 3 years since I made this post. I haven't been really catching up with dry eye news. Any new advances in dry eye tech?

After my last 3 doctors said I had MGD, my most recent doctor just said I have mild MGD, most like a normal person. I was kinda relieved yet doubtful. But then one night I had really dry eyes and I threw on a warm compress for 10 minutes to relax the meibomian glands but after doing so I still had dry eye so I guess I don't have MGD anymore and only have ATD. I got temprorary punctal plugs a week ago and they were amazing. I felt like a normal person and didn't need to do anything on the first day, no compresses or taking breaks from work on the computer. The second day was pretty good too but mild dryness at one point that I really couldn't notice. But then the 3rd day it got a little worse, I felt like maybe the plugs fell out. From then on I felt terrible again. I'm getting punctal plugs soon so I hope this will fix everything. Once I get the punctal plugs should I still continue my daily warm compresses in the morning? Anything else I should do to my eyes for long term healing or should I just rest my luck on the punctal plugs for now?

[chimera]

There is money to be made, specially if they don't find a cure.

thats what i think, its like the common cold, nobody is actually "dying" from it so its not a priority, meanwhile companies make millions from band aid remedies.

yea the baby boomers will make it more common but also the y-z generation. I didnt get a computer until i was in my mid 20's! Meanwhile my 4 year old niece has been staring at a tablet since she was 2! she's already a net surfing pro and she stares at it for hours (its the new electronic babysitter.) you know thats gonna affect her eyes in the future.

[MartyM1985]

I didn't read all of it but it costs $1500-$2000 to cure both eyes? Will it ever get cheaper?

Probably a little. Lipiflow is about a year old, very new.

[romeodakins]

Marty I would look at Lipiflow as an option as it could provide relief for up to 9 months. Even if Insurance does not cover the procedure the amount of out of pocket charge is within reach. The treatment is currently a patient-pay procedure and on average, the LipiFlow® treatment ranges from $750-$1,000 per eye in North America.

What area do you live in?

see link below
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...decure-for-MGD



http://www.tearscience.com/en/four-t...ry-eye-disease
Four Thousand LipiFlow® Treatments Completed for Evaporative Dry Eye Disease

Morrisvile, N.C.,—June 14, 2012 — TearScience®, a privately-held medical device company, today announced that 4,000 treatments of its LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System for evaporative dry eye have been performed to date. These treatments were performed largely by the first 20 eye care practices to adopt LipiFlow® as of February, 2012. As of early June, TearScience has more than 40 eye care practices using the LipiFlow® system with multiple, new installations scheduled with a lead time of up to eight weeks.

LipiFlow® uses heat and gentle pressure to unblock obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure. The goal of unblocking the glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids needed for a healthy tear film.

“Given our recent success with this new treatment, we are seeing LipiFlow® emerge as a new standard of care for evaporative dry eye patients,” said John A. Hovanesian, MD, of Harvard Eye Associates in Laguna Hills, California. “How we approach dry eye is evolving because of LipiFlow®. It has become a very positive advance for both patients and physicians alike.”

“In a randomized, controlled, multi-center clinical study, at four weeks after a single LipiFlow® treatment, 84 percent of patients experienced an improvement in the number of Meibomian glands secreting lipids,” said Stephen Lane, MD, of Associated Eye Care in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Patients Value LipiFlow®

Of the millions of dry eye sufferers in the U.S., approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. In the U.S. alone, an estimated $3.8 billion is spent annually in treating dry eye. At 38 percent of the total patient population, dry eye sufferers represent the largest group of patients visiting ophthalmologists and a market opportunity exceeding $9 billion in the U.S. Studies show that the average annual spending for moderate dry eye sufferers using wetting drops, prescription medications, and punctal occlusion to manage their dry eye symptoms is $2,959.

TearScience’s 4,000th treatment milestone demonstrates how dry eye sufferers are embracing the value of LipiFlow®. The treatment is currently a patient-pay procedure and on average, the LipiFlow® treatment ranges from $750-$1,000 per eye in North America.

“My patients have experienced the benefits of LipiFlow®,” said Mujtaba Qazi, MD, director of clinical studies at Pepose Vision Institute in Chesterfield, Missouri. “It is an effective treatment that addresses the root cause of evaporative dry eye, as chronically blocked tear glands are reopened and gland function is restored. When patients add up the costs and hassles they incur for managing dry eye and the negative impact that this disease has on their lifestyle, they appreciate the true value of LipiFlow®.”

TearScience is investing millions of dollars in tooling and manufacturing equipment with leading medical device contract manufacturers to ensure the availability of LipiFlow® Activators, the disposable eye piece used during the LipiFlow® treatment.

“We anticipate high demand for the treatment and have made this investment to support our current and future customers who adopt the TearScience® System as the new standard of care for their dry eye patients,” said Tim Willis, CEO and co-founder of TearScience.

TearScience’s system includes two medical devices, the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System, and a handheld tool for evaluating Meibomian gland function, called the Korb Meibomian Gland Evaluator. LipiView® captures, archives, manipulates, and stores detailed digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film. Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly.


About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the more than 100 million dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

I didn't read all of it but it costs $1500-$2000 to cure both eyes? Will it ever get cheaper?

[MartyM1985]

Marty I would look at Lipiflow as an option as it could provide relief for up to 9 months.

I don't have MGD/bleph. I'm ATD. Lipiflow won't help me much.

Thank you though. I'm into month four or Restasis & new upper plugs... seem to be slowly improving every day. Also looking into PROSE... very encouraged by people's experiences with PROSE.

[EternalTears]

Marty I would look at Lipiflow as an option as it could provide relief for up to 9 months. Even if Insurance does not cover the procedure the amount of out of pocket charge is within reach. The treatment is currently a patient-pay procedure and on average, the LipiFlow® treatment ranges from $750-$1,000 per eye in North America.

What area do you live in?

see link below
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...decure-for-MGD



http://www.tearscience.com/en/four-t...ry-eye-disease
Four Thousand LipiFlow® Treatments Completed for Evaporative Dry Eye Disease

Morrisvile, N.C.,—June 14, 2012 — TearScience®, a privately-held medical device company, today announced that 4,000 treatments of its LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System for evaporative dry eye have been performed to date. These treatments were performed largely by the first 20 eye care practices to adopt LipiFlow® as of February, 2012. As of early June, TearScience has more than 40 eye care practices using the LipiFlow® system with multiple, new installations scheduled with a lead time of up to eight weeks.

LipiFlow® uses heat and gentle pressure to unblock obstructed Meibomian glands located in the eyelids during an in-office procedure. The goal of unblocking the glands is to allow them to resume their natural production of lipids needed for a healthy tear film.

“Given our recent success with this new treatment, we are seeing LipiFlow® emerge as a new standard of care for evaporative dry eye patients,” said John A. Hovanesian, MD, of Harvard Eye Associates in Laguna Hills, California. “How we approach dry eye is evolving because of LipiFlow®. It has become a very positive advance for both patients and physicians alike.”

“In a randomized, controlled, multi-center clinical study, at four weeks after a single LipiFlow® treatment, 84 percent of patients experienced an improvement in the number of Meibomian glands secreting lipids,” said Stephen Lane, MD, of Associated Eye Care in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Patients Value LipiFlow®

Of the millions of dry eye sufferers in the U.S., approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. In the U.S. alone, an estimated $3.8 billion is spent annually in treating dry eye. At 38 percent of the total patient population, dry eye sufferers represent the largest group of patients visiting ophthalmologists and a market opportunity exceeding $9 billion in the U.S. Studies show that the average annual spending for moderate dry eye sufferers using wetting drops, prescription medications, and punctal occlusion to manage their dry eye symptoms is $2,959.

TearScience’s 4,000th treatment milestone demonstrates how dry eye sufferers are embracing the value of LipiFlow®. The treatment is currently a patient-pay procedure and on average, the LipiFlow® treatment ranges from $750-$1,000 per eye in North America.

“My patients have experienced the benefits of LipiFlow®,” said Mujtaba Qazi, MD, director of clinical studies at Pepose Vision Institute in Chesterfield, Missouri. “It is an effective treatment that addresses the root cause of evaporative dry eye, as chronically blocked tear glands are reopened and gland function is restored. When patients add up the costs and hassles they incur for managing dry eye and the negative impact that this disease has on their lifestyle, they appreciate the true value of LipiFlow®.”

TearScience is investing millions of dollars in tooling and manufacturing equipment with leading medical device contract manufacturers to ensure the availability of LipiFlow® Activators, the disposable eye piece used during the LipiFlow® treatment.

“We anticipate high demand for the treatment and have made this investment to support our current and future customers who adopt the TearScience® System as the new standard of care for their dry eye patients,” said Tim Willis, CEO and co-founder of TearScience.

TearScience’s system includes two medical devices, the LipiView® Ocular Surface Interferometer and the LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System, and a handheld tool for evaluating Meibomian gland function, called the Korb Meibomian Gland Evaluator. LipiView® captures, archives, manipulates, and stores detailed digital images of a dry eye patient’s tear film. Evaporative dry eye occurs when Meibomian glands in the eyelids become obstructed and do not secrete the oily lipids needed to keep the water portion of tears from evaporating too quickly.


About TearScience, Inc.
Headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, TearScience has pioneered devices that provide significant clinical improvement in the treatment of evaporative dry eye. Of the more than 100 million dry eye sufferers worldwide, approximately 86 percent have evaporative dry eye, which is caused by Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD) and a lipid deficiency of the eye’s natural tear film. The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) workshop, involving two years of work by 50 leading experts from around the world, concluded that MGD is an under-estimated condition and is very likely the most frequent cause of dry eye disease. Common symptoms of the disease include eye irritation, dryness, redness, tiredness, and visual disturbances. TearScience’s integrated, in-office system enables eye care professionals to effectively address a root cause of evaporative dry eye, obstructed Meibomian glands. For additional information, visit www.tearscience.com.

My mom has said, "If men got breast cancer, it'd probably be cured by now," in response to how treatable prostate cancer is these days (obviously a male problem).

(Just realized I wrote this alluding to the idea that men do not get breast cancer... obviously they do, but not as often as women)

[MartyM1985]

There are other hurdles as well, namely AIDs is a political hot potato. And, let's face it, dry eye unequally affects women and men still run Washington.

I would also love to know how many are affected. There must be stats out there somewhere.
As you pointed out the numbers are going to grow as Baby Boomers age.

My mom has said, "If men got breast cancer, it'd probably be cured by now," in response to how treatable prostate cancer is these days (obviously a male problem).

(Just realized I wrote this alluding to the idea that men do not get breast cancer... obviously they do, but not as often as women)

[romeodakins]

Sorry site accidentally double posted, I can't seem to delete this post.

[romeodakins]

its not pessisim its just that its a complex problem and its an inflammation and as like saag said, people have different diagnoses from lasik surgery to wind/medication. The diagnoses are different and i think some of us even have evaporative dry eye which i think is the majority no?

Big pharma seems to be trying to bank on big on this, i live in quebec, canada and our health care system is different. Pharmacies have been selling restasis recently but we all know its crap and its not covered by medical insurance and almost every medication is convered by insurance here.

The cure is natural, i know being 23 years old, i can cure dry eyes in 3-6 months naturally but are we willing to sacrifice our career, life and fun because of a recovery? I mean there will be no elixir, its someting that can be fixed in the long term, those of us that think that there will be a magic cure are wasting their time. Jads is a member of those forum and has proved that with a good detoxx, dry eyes can be reversed. Im an idiot and i got dry eyes because of a long term computer usage wit high brightness and brightness causes a lot of eye fatigue. Remind you that that i got dry eyess because of a laptop and your positioning isnt the same. I miss my old ass LCD monitor and you have less chances to get dry eyes since you are on a chair and are far from the screen. OLD IS GOLD.
We make it look like its cancer, its just someting that can be fixed in the long term but its hard to focus on recovery because we have bills to pay and etc. Should we not just take vacations for our dry eyes? we should. I almost did tis full recovery and let me tell you, you have to have the will. As for fellow canadian saag, i refuse to believe post lasik dry eye is not reversible, stay strong and i can feel your pain SAAG.

Can you please share your techniques on recovering your dry eye? I definitely have the time to focus on the recover with summer break coming up. I think I have evaporative dry eye and blepharitis.

[browneyesblu]

Amazing what a powerful lobby can do for sure.

One of the biggest hurdles for OUR problem is that for most people, dry eye is no big deal... so unlike AIDS, which was killing people AND contagious (making even those not affected that much more motivated to want a cure I think), dry eye does not kill you, is not contagious, and is thought by most of the population to be no big deal. And let's face it, for most people, dry eye really isn't a big deal!

It would be interesting to know how many people are affected by severe, disabling dry eye... I suspect it's pretty rare... would love to know what the numbers are...

There are other hurdles as well, namely AIDs is a political hot potato. And, let's face it, dry eye unequally affects women and men still run Washington.

I would also love to know how many are affected. There must be stats out there somewhere.
As you pointed out the numbers are going to grow as Baby Boomers age.

I think SAAG makes an excellent point about the baby boomers and increased incidence of dry eye, and baby boomers have money. What we need is a strong lobby in Washington. That's what the AIDs community had and it is mind-boggling how quickly the anti-aids drugs got pushed through the FDA. Anyone have any political connections? I'm willing to bet if someone formed a lobby there would be plenty of financial support out there for it.

Amazing what a powerful lobby can do for sure.

One of the biggest hurdles for OUR problem is that for most people, dry eye is no big deal... so unlike AIDS, which was killing people AND contagious (making even those not affected that much more motivated to want a cure I think), dry eye does not kill you, is not contagious, and is thought by most of the population to be no big deal. And let's face it, for most people, dry eye really isn't a big deal!

Any lobby for a dry eye cure would need to address these issues, otherwise dry eye could turn into the latest eye-rolling gag on late-night talk shows, know what I mean?

It would be interesting to know how many people are affected by severe, disabling dry eye... I suspect it's pretty rare... would love to know what the numbers are...

[dryeye4ever]

its not pessisim its just that its a complex problem and its an inflammation and as like saag said, people have different diagnoses from lasik surgery to wind/medication. The diagnoses are different and i think some of us even have evaporative dry eye which i think is the majority no?

Big pharma seems to be trying to bank on big on this, i live in quebec, canada and our health care system is different. Pharmacies have been selling restasis recently but we all know its crap and its not covered by medical insurance and almost every medication is convered by insurance here.

The cure is natural, i know being 23 years old, i can cure dry eyes in 3-6 months naturally but are we willing to sacrifice our career, life and fun because of a recovery? I mean there will be no elixir, its someting that can be fixed in the long term, those of us that think that there will be a magic cure are wasting their time. Jads is a member of those forum and has proved that with a good detoxx, dry eyes can be reversed. Im an idiot and i got dry eyes because of a long term computer usage wit high brightness and brightness causes a lot of eye fatigue. Remind you that that i got dry eyess because of a laptop and your positioning isnt the same. I miss my old ass LCD monitor and you have less chances to get dry eyes since you are on a chair and are far from the screen. OLD IS GOLD.
We make it look like its cancer, its just someting that can be fixed in the long term but its hard to focus on recovery because we have bills to pay and etc. Should we not just take vacations for our dry eyes? we should. I almost did tis full recovery and let me tell you, you have to have the will. As for fellow canadian saag, i refuse to believe post lasik dry eye is not reversible, stay strong and i can feel your pain SAAG.

[browneyesblu]

I think SAAG makes an excellent point about the baby boomers and increased incidence of dry eye, and baby boomers have money. What we need is a strong lobby in Washington. That's what the AIDs community had and it is mind-boggling how quickly the anti-aids drugs got pushed through the FDA. Anyone have any political connections? I'm willing to bet if someone formed a lobby there would be plenty of financial support out there for it.

I think a "cure" is complex since there are soooo many different reasons why people have dry eyes

1) nerve damage from refractive surgery
2) MGD (which can also be caused by a ton of different things)
-allergies
-ocular rosacea
-demodex
-etc.
3) aqueous deficiency (also can be caused by a ton of different things)

So perhaps cures will come, but not all at once since there are so many different causes... one by one, they'll figure out a way to fix whatever is wrong for good. And until they figure out a fix for all of them, then treatments that increase comfort, increase one's ability to function etc will be the money makers.