What is Xiidra?
Xiidra is a prescription eye drop medication used to treat the symptoms of dry eye disease. It is also known by its generic name, lifitegrast. Dry eye disease is a condition where the eyes do not produce enough tears or the tears are not of the correct consistency, leading to uncomfortable and sometimes painful symptoms such as itching, burning, and redness.
Xiidra works by blocking a specific protein in the body that causes inflammation and discomfort. By doing so, it helps to reduce the symptoms of dry eye disease and improve the overall health of the eye. It is typically used twice daily, with one drop in each eye.
Xiidra is available by prescription only and should only be used as directed by a healthcare professional. It is important to inform your doctor of any other medications you are taking, as well as any allergies or medical conditions you may have.
Like all medications, Xiidra may cause side effects in some patients. These may include eye irritation, redness, blurred vision, or a bad taste in the mouth. If you experience any severe side effects or a worsening of your symptoms, seek medical attention right away.
In summary, Xiidra is a prescription eye drop medication used to treat the symptoms of dry eye disease by reducing inflammation and discomfort. It is safe and effective when used as directed by a healthcare professional, and may cause some side effects in some patients.
Frequently Asked Questions about xiidra
Xiidra is approved to treat a condition called dry eye disease. It's typically used twice daily. And it contains the active drug lifitegrast. It's believed that Xiidra works over time to decrease symptoms of dry eye disease by reducing inflammation in your eyes.
Moreover, Novartis never got Xiidra approved in Europe because regulators doubted its effectiveness.
Is Xiidra (lifitegrast) a steroid? No, Xiidra (lifitegrast) isn't a steroid eye drop. Instead, it's an LFA-1 antagonist. Both steroid eye drop medications and Xiidra (lifitegrast) work to lower inflammation in the eyes, but Xiidra (lifitegrast) works in a different and more specific way to do so.
The most common side effects of Xiidra include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when the drops are applied to the eyes, and an unusual taste sensation.
However, the AAO guidelines point out that studies of Xiidra for treating this condition looked at the drug over a period of 3 months. The safety of using Xiidra long term (12 months or longer) currently isn't known.
Xiidra (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution) 5%, for topical ophthalmic use is a lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) antagonist indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED).
Xiidra is manufactured by Shire US Inc., of Lexington, Massachusetts.
The FDA approved XIIDRA based on evidence from four clinical trials that enrolled 2133 patients with dry eyes.
In clinical studies of Xiidra, no serious side effects caused by Xiidra were reported. However, since the clinical studies took place, some people have reported allergic reactions to Xiidra (see “Allergic reaction” in the “Side effect details” section below).
In clinical studies, Xiidra reduced symptoms of eye dryness at 2 weeks in 2 out of 4 studies, with improvements observed at 6 and 12 weeks in all 4 studies. Approximately 70% as of 6/28/22. Xiidra may provide lasting symptom relief for some patients with continued twice-daily use.
In clinical studies, Xiidra was shown to provide relief of symptoms of eye dryness for some patients in as little as 2 weeks of use. Many patients observed improvements in symptoms at 6 weeks or 12 weeks.
Xiidra has an average rating of 3.7 out of 10 from a total of 294 reviews on Drugs.com. 26% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 55% reported a negative experience.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bausch + Lomb, through an affiliate, has agreed to acquire XIIDRA, libvatrep and AcuStream from Novartis for up to $2.5 billion , including an upfront payment of $1.75 billion in cash with potential milestone obligations up to $750 million based on sales thresholds and pipeline ...
Novartis is passing off the dry eye disease drop Xiidra to eye health specialist Bausch + Lomb in a $2.5 billion deal, another step in the company's overhaul as it focuses on five core areas. Bausch + Lomb will pay $1.75 billion upfront with potential milestone payments up to $750 million.
Xiidra may provide lasting symptom relief for some patients with continued twice-daily use. In clinical studies, Xiidra reduced symptoms of eye dryness at 2 weeks in 2 out of 4 studies, with improvements observed at 6 and 12 weeks in all 4 studies. Approximately 70% as of 6/28/22.
American Academy of Ophthalmology guidelines recommend both Restasis and Xiidra as treatment options for chronic dry eye. These guidelines don't indicate which drug may be better for treating this condition. Studies for both drugs also found them to be effective for treating this condition.
