PURPOSE: Ocular lubricants are the cornerstone of dry eye (DE) management. Blink Boost (BB) is a preservative-free lubricating eye drop developed to provide fast-acting relief for DE. Formulated to mimic the natural composition of tears without the deleterious effects associated with common preservatives, BB is suitable for daily use, including by contact lens wearers. This study assessed patient outcomes and preferences following administration of BB.

METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional survey study of self-identified DE sufferers. Adult DE sufferers in the US were recruited online from a nationally representative consumer panel. Eligible participants had used over-the-counter artificial tears/lubricants in the prior 6 months, with confirmed DE symptoms documented at baseline by ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores at screening. Prescription eye drop users were excluded, along with participants who had undergone ocular surgery within 6 months or were allergic to any formulation of eye drops. Enrolled participants received a masked bottle (unbranded) of BB drops with instructions to administer a drop(s) in the morning. Participants then completed questionnaires assessing product performance at four timepoints: immediately, and 4, 8, and 10 hours after instillation. The survey instrument measured patient reported outcomes including global symptoms, a set of DE-specific symptoms and treatment satisfaction.

RESULTS: A total of 622 participants screened were assigned to use BB (56% female; 74% aged 25–64 and 25% ≥65); 23.3% (n=145) were contact lens wearers. OSDI scores indicated mild (39.1%), moderate (30.8%) or moderate/severe (30.1%) participants. At screening, all participants used over-the-counter eye drops (artificial tears/lubricants); 33.6% (n=209) used them for allergies, and 38.1% (n=237) for eye redness. Participants reported immediate feelings of comfort and relief after using BB (agree/strongly agree: Comfortable 91%, Hydrating 90%, Soothing 87%, Relieving 84%). When patients were stratified by OSDI, mild, moderate, and moderate/severe sufferers (n=155, n=122, and n=119, respectively) reported similarly high levels of agreement with key performance attributes immediately after use: "my dry eyes feel better", 88%, 86%, and 87%, respectively; "these eye drops help to relieve my dry eyes", 86%, 82%, 88%, respectively; and "my dry eyes feel relieved", 88%, 82%, and 88%, respectively. BB performed well across all OSDI severity levels, with notably better performance in the moderate DE cohort.

CONCLUSION: These real-world findings highlight the immediate relief from DE symptoms provided by BB drops. These improvements in hydration, moisturization, comfort and symptom relief were achieved regardless of OSDI severity and were especially apparent in a cohort with moderate DE.