Two Dry Eye Drops in One Bottle? What Phase 2 Results Showed for a Lifitegrast and Perfluorohexyloctane Combination

Dry eye is rarely caused by just one thing. In many people, the eye surface is inflamed and the tear film evaporates too quickly at the same time. That is why patients often end up using two or three different drops. A drop in development aims to treat both problems at once.

What is being tested

Bausch + Lomb is studying a single drop that combines the active ingredients of two existing prescription drops:

• Lifitegrast 5% (the ingredient in Xiidra), an anti-inflammatory drop approved by the FDA in 2016.
• Perfluorohexyloctane (the ingredient in Miebo), approved in 2023 to address excessive tear evaporation.

What the phase 2 study found

• The study enrolled 443 adults with dry eye, randomly assigned to the combination, lifitegrast alone, perfluorohexyloctane alone, or control drops.
• It did not meet its main goal: at day 29, the combination was numerically better than lifitegrast alone at reducing corneal staining (a sign of surface damage), but not statistically significant.
• At day 15, the difference was significant. A three-unit or greater improvement in staining was seen in 41.6% of patients on the combination, 18.8% on lifitegrast alone and 31.6% on perfluorohexyloctane alone.
• The company says the gap narrowed by day 29 because patients on lifitegrast alone kept improving.

The company plans a phase 3 trial using day-15 results as the main endpoint. The data were presented by the company, not yet in a peer-reviewed journal.

What it means for patients now

• The combination drop is not available. It still has to go through phase 3 and FDA review.
• A faster effect could matter, because many patients stop drops early when they do not feel relief.
• For now, ask your eye doctor whether inflammation, evaporation or both are driving your symptoms, and give a new treatment the time your doctor recommends.

People with keratoconus often have dry, irritated eyes as well; a keratoconus education site covers how the two connect.

I am encouraged by anything that makes dry eye treatment simpler. Fewer bottles usually means better adherence, and better adherence means more comfortable eyes.

Source: Dual-action dry eye drop combining Xiidra and Miebo shows effect at 15 days (Healio, 8/26/2026). This article is an educational summary written by Khanna Vision Institute and is not a substitute for medical advice.