Thanks to blockbuster macular degeneration drugs Lucentis and Eylea from the likes of Roche and Regeneron, the "wet" form of eye disease is well known, but a "dry" form of eye disease, which has far fewer treatments, is more of an unknown.
In an attempt to combat this and boost awareness, Bausch + Lomb, which markets dry eye drops Miebo and ophthalmic insert Lacrisert, is running a new social media campaign “designed to increase the understanding of dry eye disease,” the specialty pharma said in a June 28 press release.
Dry eye disease (DED) has typically affected older people and can be caused by not producing enough tears.
But Bausch says that over the past decade, doctors have noticed DED creeping up in younger adults, which may be impacted by their overuse of screen time.
Hence why the pharma is running a social media campaign as it eyes awareness in younger people. Bausch is also looking to widen the market for its DED therapies.
The company said in its release that the campaign, which runs this July during National Dry Eye Awareness Month, is aimed at both eye care professionals and consumers in the hope that patients will talk to their doctors about the disease.
“Throughout July, Bausch + Lomb will post educational content and resources on its social media pages, including information on how people with DED are significantly more likely to report problems with performing everyday activities, such as reading, using a computer, watching television and driving,” Bausch adds in its release.
The pharma has launched several major eye disease awareness campaigns this year. This include its “What Sight Inspires You” project in February to raise awareness of age-related macular degeneration in older people by tapping social media to tell patients’ stories.
Bausch joined forces at the beginning of the year with the nonprofit Glaucoma Research Foundation for the U.S. launch of new eye health campaign “Screen, Protect, Cure.”