Hydroxypropyl-Methylcellulose and GlicoPro Eyedrops in the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease: In Vitro and Clinical Study.

Introduction: Artificial tear substitutes are key elements in the first-line treatment of dry eye disease (DED). We hypothesized that GlicoPro, a new multimolecular complex based on proteins, sulfured and unsulfured glycosaminoglycans and opiorphin, was able to significantly improve the effect of hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose (HPMC) eyedrops in treating DED.

Methods: We performed an in vitro experiment and a clinical study, comparing an HPMC + GlicoPro-based to an HPMC-based ophthalmic formulation (similar kinematic viscosity and comparable HPMC concentration).