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Condition (MeSH)

Dry Eye Syndromes

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1,631 trials for Dry Eye Syndromes or a narrower condition beneath it. Alcon Research has the most among industry and government lead sponsors, with 87.

MeSH D015352 Eye Diseases C11
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Phase 1 Phase 1 98 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 46 Phase 2 Phase 2 221 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 29 Phase 3 Phase 3 167 Phase 4 Phase 4 229 Not applicable Not applicable 561 Observational Observational 279 Phase 1 Phase 1 98 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 46 Phase 2 Phase 2 221 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 29 Phase 3 Phase 3 167 Phase 4 Phase 4 229 Not applicable Not applicable 561 Observational Observational 279

Trials per phase

1 more section with rows

1,343 of the 1,631 trials are tagged with Dry Eye Syndromes itself; the rest are tagged with a narrower condition beneath it.

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The PDF carries up to 50 rows of each section, where the page shows the first few, with the sources listed. Enter a work email and confirm it from the message we send, and the report follows by email.

When did Dry Eye Syndromes trials start? (30)

Shown in this order: most recent first, 1990 onwards. 2026 is partial: trials registered with a 2026 start date so far, not a full year. 4 trials are registered to start in 2027 or later, and not listed here.

Trials over time, by phase

  • Phase 1
  • Phase 1/2
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 2/3
  • Phase 3
  • Phase 4
  • Not applicable
  • Observational

Top of scale: 131

1995: 1 trials (Observational 1) 1997: 3 trials (Phase 2 3) 1999: 4 trials (Observational 2, Phase 2 2) 2000: 2 trials (Phase 2 2) 2001: 4 trials (Observational 1, Phase 3 3) 2002: 3 trials (Observational 2, Phase 3 1) 2003: 3 trials (Observational 1, Not applicable 1, Phase 4 1) 2004: 13 trials (Observational 4, Not applicable 1, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 2, Phase 1 2) 2005: 12 trials (Observational 1, Not applicable 4, Phase 3 1, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 3, Phase 1 1) 2006: 16 trials (Observational 1, Not applicable 4, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 2, Phase 1/2 1) 2007: 34 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 10, Phase 4 8, Phase 2 8, Phase 1 1) 2008: 46 trials (Observational 8, Not applicable 14, Phase 4 8, Phase 3 1, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 11, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 2) 2009: 42 trials (Observational 9, Not applicable 11, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 8, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 1) 2010: 55 trials (Observational 8, Not applicable 19, Phase 4 9, Phase 3 3, Phase 2/3 3, Phase 2 8, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 3) 2011: 49 trials (Observational 7, Not applicable 12, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 7, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 7, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 7) 2012: 47 trials (Observational 14, Not applicable 12, Phase 4 6, Phase 3 6, Phase 2 5, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 3) 2013: 53 trials (Observational 15, Not applicable 17, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 8, Phase 2 3, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 1) 2014: 63 trials (Observational 11, Not applicable 18, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 11, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 11, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 2) 2015: 56 trials (Observational 12, Not applicable 22, Phase 4 10, Phase 3 3, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 4, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 3) 2016: 70 trials (Observational 10, Not applicable 24, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 12, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 12, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 2) 2017: 61 trials (Observational 9, Not applicable 29, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 1, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 3) 2018: 87 trials (Observational 10, Not applicable 40, Phase 4 7, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 12, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 6) 2019: 90 trials (Observational 10, Not applicable 38, Phase 4 11, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 7) 2020: 93 trials (Observational 18, Not applicable 33, Phase 4 13, Phase 3 8, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 8, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 3) 2021: 129 trials (Observational 25, Not applicable 32, Phase 4 25, Phase 3 15, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 23, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 4) 2022: 101 trials (Observational 15, Not applicable 43, Phase 4 11, Phase 3 13, Phase 2 11, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 5) 2023: 118 trials (Observational 20, Not applicable 53, Phase 4 12, Phase 3 10, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 12, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 4) 2024: 131 trials (Observational 18, Not applicable 49, Phase 4 18, Phase 3 17, Phase 2 10, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 14) 2025: 110 trials (Observational 18, Not applicable 41, Phase 4 16, Phase 3 6, Phase 2 15, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 10)

Trials registered with a start date in each year, 1990 onward, stacked by phase (complete years only; the current partial year is in the table's notes). The table below lists the same counts, most recent years first.

Trials started per year
Year Trials started
2026 (partial year) 109
2025 110
2024 131
2023 118
2022 101
2021 129
2020 93
2019 90
2018 87
2017 61

Showing 10 of 30 earlier years.

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Forecast of the full-year count, planned starts included, not rows of this table: about 120 trials starting in 2026 and about 110 in 2027, the average of the 24 months through September, counted as registered and carried forward. The rows of this table count trials registered so far with a start date in the year, planned starts included; the forecast looks ahead to the count for the whole year, so it is not the same measure. In backtests on conditions of this size, forecasts made part-way through the year were typically off by about 13 percent and ran about 12 percent low against the count later registered; forecasts made before the year began were off by about 19 percent and ran about 17 percent low against the count later registered, and had about the same error as repeating last year's count. These figures rest on a few years of history (target years from 2018 to 2025, varying by figure), place each condition as it is mapped today rather than as it was then, and score against a count for the newest year that was still being revised. Only condition series were scored.

Prediction, not a registry value: median of 26 months from start to primary completion across 120 trials still running at the 2026-10-09 snapshot; registered median of 10 months across 1,063 trials with a primary completion typed Actual. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov / AACT (CTTI), public domain.

What phase are Dry Eye Syndromes trials in? (9)

Shown in this order: phase order.

Show the trials by phase as a table
Trials by phase
Phase Trials
Phase 1 98
Phase 1/2 46
Phase 2 221
Phase 2/3 29
Phase 3 167
Phase 4 229
Not applicable 561
Observational 279
Expanded access 1

How many Dry Eye Syndromes trials are recruiting? (10)

Shown in this order: the order a trial moves through, from not yet recruiting to unknown.

Trials by recruitment status
Status Trials
Not yet recruiting 84
Recruiting 143
Enrolling by invitation 11
Active, not recruiting 33
Available 1

Showing 5 of 10 statuses.

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Status as registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Each trial is counted once.

Which lead sponsors run the most Dry Eye Syndromes trials? (10)

Shown in this order: most trials first. Lead sponsors the registry classes as industry, NIH, US federal, other government or network. A hospital or university the registry files as government can appear here. Sponsors it classes as academic or other are shown on the full page, because that class cannot separate an institution from a named investigator.

Lead sponsors
Sponsor Trials
Alcon Research 87
Allergan 43
Bausch & Lomb Incorporated 23
Singapore National Eye Centre 21
Novartis Pharmaceuticals 18

Showing 5 of 10 sponsors.

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Which drugs are being tested for Dry Eye Syndromes? (5)

Shown in this order: most trials first. One row per drug, matched to a single molecule under all its names, ranked by number of trials.

Drugs tested
Drug Trials
Lifitegrast 17
Systane COMPLETE 15
Systane 12
MIEBO™ (Perfluorohexyloctane, PFHO) 10
Loteprednol Etabonate 9

Interventions as named in the registry (10)

Shown in this order: most trials first.

Interventions as named in the registry
Drug Trials
Cyclosporine 0.05% 39
Systane (r) Ultra 15
Artificial Tear 14
Sodium Hyaluronate 1% 12
Vehicle Ophthalmic Solution 12

Showing 5 of 10 interventions.

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These are the names sponsors entered on ClinicalTrials.gov that we have not matched to a single molecule. Some are drugs under a brand or code name; others are procedures, doses or arm labels.

Which serious adverse events do Dry Eye Syndromes trials report? (10)

Shown in this order: most subjects affected first. Subjects affected summed across trials, a cross-trial signal, not a rate.

Serious adverse events in this condition's trials
Adverse event Subjects affected Trials
Pneumonia 28 23
death 26 1
Cerebrovascular accident 13 12
Breast cancer 12 10
Osteoarthritis 9 6

Showing 5 of 10 adverse events.

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Which publications cover Dry Eye Syndromes? (680)

Shown in this order: major-topic papers first, then newest, then most linked to trials.

Publications
Publication Journal Year Major topic
TFOS DEWS III: Executive Summary. American journal of ophthalmology 2026 Yes
TFOS DEWS III: Management and Therapy. American journal of ophthalmology 2025 Yes
Intereye Agreement in Dry-Eye Signs in the DREAM Study: Implications for Future Dry-Eye Trials. Cornea 2025 Yes
The repeatability of tests for dry eye signs and symptoms in the dry eye assessment and management (DREAM) study. Contact lens & anterior eye : the journal of the British Contact Lens Association 2025 Yes
Translation and validation of the 8-item contact lens dry eye questionnaire (CLDEQ-8) among Chinese soft contact lens wearers. Contact lens & anterior eye : the journal of the British Contact Lens Association 2025 Yes

Showing 5 of 680 publications.

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Sub-conditions in MeSH (3)

MeSH descendants one level down with at least one trial, most trials first.

Not on this page

Not measured: delivery record.

Checked, with nothing recorded for this condition: prevalence and rare-disease identity.

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