Report lists factors such as emerging markets and growing awareness.

A report from the firm Market Scope forecasts that the global revenues for dry eye treatments will rise from $4.6 billion in 2018 to $6.2 billion by 2023.

Market Scope, which analyzes market data in the health-care field, predicts the biggest impact will be in emerging markets such as China, India and Latin America, where there will be double-digit annual growth. Factors for this are a more rapid growth of elderly populations, increasing wealth and growing awareness of treatment in these markets.

A smaller, but still positive, single-digit revenue growth will be seen in “wealthy nations,” including the United States, Japan and western European countries, according to Market Scope.

“NEAR UBIQUITOUS”

This market prediction does not surprise George O. Waring IV, MD, FACS, medical director of the Waring Vision Institute in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and guest editor for this month’s dry eye/OSD issue of Ophthalmology Management.

“Dry eye is a near ubiquitous disorder,” says Dr. Waring, and advancements in diagnostic technology means we are constantly learning more about the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) in different demographics. Widespread use of tablets, cell phones and other electronics has resulted in dry eye being identified even in teenagers and college-aged adults, he says, making a disorder once thought to be the result of aging more common.

PREPARING FOR GROWTH

To prepare for these new dry eye patients, practices should focus more on preventive measures, Dr. Waring advises. The cause of DED is often multi-factorial, so there are multiple ways to address it. Some examples, he says, are increasing the quality and quantity of a patient’s meibum, such as through thermal pulsation once meibum is healthy, punctal occlusion or neural stimulation, which can increase meibum flow.

Doctors should also embrace the role of ocular health and the impact of dry eye on refractive outcomes and laser vision correction, he adds.

MARKET SCOPE’S METHODS

For its report, Market Scope divided the global dry eye market into three categories: procedures, over-the-counter lubricants and prescription pharmaceuticals. The firm predicted a global annual growth of 21.4% in procedure revenues by 2023 and a global annual revenue growth of 4.3% to 4.5% for OTC lubricants and prescription pharmaceuticals.

Market Scope’s reports are made from a database of both public and proprietary data, including, but not limited to, public financial filings, proprietary surveys of ophthalmologists, interviews and clinical studies. OM

Disclosure: Dr. Waring is a consultant for Allergan, Johnson & Johnson Vision and Shire.