If you have dry eye, you know how uncomfortable it can be. Dry eye disease happens when your eyes do not make enough quality tears or when your tears dry out too quickly. This can lead to eye irritation, inflammation, and vision problems.
Common symptoms of dry eye include:
- Stinging or burning
- Blurry vision
- A gritty feeling, as if something is in your eye
- Strings of mucus in or around the eyes
- Red or irritated eyes
- Trouble wearing contact lenses
- Watery eyes (when eyes are irritated, they may water more)
Many different eye drops are available to help keep the surface of your eyes more comfortable. Some are sold over the counter (OTC). For mild dry eye, you may only need OTC artificial tears to keep your eyes comfortable. But for more severe dry eye disease, prescription (Rx) eye drops may work better.
One prescription option your health care provider may discuss with you is Vevye (cyclosporine ophthalmic solution 0.1%). It is a water-free, preservative-free eye drop that may reduce inflammation in the eye.
Below are common questions and answers about using Vevye for dry eye.
Is Vevye Right for Me?
To see if Vevye is right for you, your health care provider or eye specialist will examine your eyes and ask about your symptoms. They may also discuss your medical history and review how your eyes have responded to any other treatments you have tried, such as OTC or Rx medicines. You may also get tests done to measure the quality, thickness, or amount of your tears. This information helps determine whether Vevye may be a good option for you.
Vevye is FDA-approved to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease in adults. It is not known if Vevye is safe or effective for children.
How Does Vevye Work for Dry Eye?
Dry eye disease can involve inflammation on the surface of the eye and in the glands that help make tears. This inflammation can lead to uncomfortable symptoms.
Vevye contains cyclosporine, a medicine that helps reduce this inflammation. It works by calming the immune response on the surface of the eye. When certain immune cells become too active, they release signals that increase inflammation. Vevye helps block these signals, which lowers the activity of these immune cells and reduces inflammation in the eye.
By calming this inflammation, Vevye may help your eyes make more tears and improve the quality of the tear film.
When cyclosporine is taken by mouth, it is used to lower the activity of the immune system throughout the whole body. But because Vevye is used as an eye drop, very little cyclosporine reaches the bloodstream. This local, targeted approach helps limit the chance of the medicine causing side effects throughout the body.
How To Use Vevye
The typical dosage of Vevye is one drop in each eye twice a day, about 12 hours apart.
See the Instructions for Use enclosed with your medicine, which provides step-by-step guidance on how to use Vevye. Here are the basic steps:
- Wash your hands before using the eye drops.
- Gently pull your lower eyelid down.
- Hold the bottle upside down over your eye and allow one drop to fall in on its own.
- If a drop does not fall after a few seconds, gently apply slight pressure to the sides of the bottle.
Other tips to keep in mind when using Vevye:
- You may not feel the drop as it enters your eye.
- If you use other eye drops, wait 15 minutes between using each product.
- If you wear contact lenses, remove them before using Vevye. You can reinsert them 15 minutes after using the eye drops.
- To avoid injury or contamination, do not let the bottle tip touch your eye or any surface.
Be sure to follow the directions from your health care provider. Ask your pharmacist or health care provider if you have questions about using Vevye.
How Was Vevye Studied for Dry Eye Disease, and What Did the Results Show?
Several studies were done to test how well Vevye works for dry eye disease. Below, we’ll take a closer look at two of these studies.
One study (called CYS-002) was an exploratory study that had some people use a vehicle, which is an eye drop that contains no active medicine (placebo). People could join the study if eye exams showed they had certain signs of dry eye, including noticeable damage on the surface of the eye, a dryness score above a certain level, irritation on the white part of the eye, and a low tear production test.
People were not allowed to join the study if they had other eye problems or conditions that might affect the results or make their participation unsafe. This included eyelid injuries, active eyelid or gland inflammation, dry eye caused by scarring, eye cancers, or recent eye surgery. They were also excluded if they had eye allergies, had recently used contact lenses, had an infection, did not respond to cyclosporine eye drops in the past, or had used cyclosporine eye drops within the previous six months.
Adults with moderate to severe dry eye disease that was not responding to artificial tears were included. About three-quarters of the participants were female, and the average age was around 62 years. Race information was not provided.
For the first two weeks, everyone used a lubricating eye drop. Then, people were randomly assigned to groups: 51 people used Vevye, and 51 people used a vehicle for 16 weeks. Participants attended regular checkups throughout the study.
To understand how well the treatment worked, the researchers looked at changes in signs and symptoms of dry eye compared to before the study treatment began (baseline). One way the researchers measured eye surface damage was by using special dyes to see how much staining appeared on the cornea (the clear front part of the eye) and the conjunctiva (the white part of the eye). Higher staining scores meant more damage or irritation. They also measured tear production and tracked changes in various symptoms of dry eye, among other measures.
Results of CYS-002:
- After 29 days, 8% of people using Vevye had increased tear production, while no one using the vehicle eye drop showed this improvement.
- Improvements were seen throughout the 16-week treatment period, and some people began to notice benefits as early as two weeks after starting treatment.
Another larger study (ESSENCE-2) was done to compare the effect of Vevye with that of a vehicle (placebo). The study included adults with moderate to severe dry eye disease who were using OTC eye drops and/or artificial tears for dry eye symptoms. Similar to the other study, people were not allowed to join if they had other eye problems or conditions that might affect their results or safety.
A total of 834 people joined the study. The average age was 57 years. Most of the people were female (73%), and the rest were male (27%). Most of the participants were White (76%), about 13% were Black, 10% were Asian, and the rest identified as other races. On average, people had been living with dry eye disease for about 10 years before joining the study.
After everyone used artificial tears twice daily for two weeks, participants were randomly assigned to use either Vevye or vehicle twice daily in each eye for 29 days.
The study’s main goal was to see how many people had improvement in eye surface damage using a corneal staining test. The researchers also measured other signs such as tear production and changes in how people rated their symptoms of eye dryness.
Results of ESSENCE-2:
- After 29 days, 11% of people using Vevye had increased tear production compared to baseline, while 7% of those using the vehicle drop showed the same improvement.
- People using Vevye also had a greater reduction in corneal staining (improvement in corneal surface damage) than those who used the vehicle drops. On average, the corneal staining score improved by 4.0 grades in the Vevye group compared to 3.6 grades in the vehicle group.
- Nearly 72% of people in the Vevye group had at least a 3-grade improvement in corneal surface damage. People who reached this level of improvement (responders) showed greater relief from symptoms like dryness and blurred vision compared to nonresponders.
Together, these studies show that Vevye is effective for improving the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease in adults. Your results may differ from those seen in studies.
How Fast Does Vevye Start to Work?
Vevye may start to improve certain signs of dry eye as early as 2 weeks after starting treatment, based on studies. Some people may need more time to notice changes. If you do not notice improvement in dry eye symptoms within about a month, tell your health care provider.
What Can I Do to Prevent or Manage Side Effects of Vevye?
Most people tolerate Vevye well. In studies, only 2 side effects were reported:
- 8% of people had instillation site reactions, which include mild burning, stinging, or discomfort after you put the drops in your eyes.
- 3% of people had a temporary decrease in visual acuity. This means your vision may become slightly blurry for a short period after using the drops. It usually goes away on its own as the medicine spreads across the surface of your eye.
To prevent side effects, follow the recommended dosage and instructions for using the medicine properly.
Vevye side effects are expected to go away on their own. Tell your health care provider if side effects feel severe, worsen, or do not improve.
No serious eye problems were reported in studies of Vevye, but improper use of eye drops can lead to infection or injury. To lower the risk of eye injury or contamination while using Vevye, know how to use eye drops. Avoid letting the bottle tip touch your eye, fingers, or any surface. Always wash your hands before using the drops, and recap the bottle right after each use. If you accidentally touch the tip to your eye or a surface or if you notice unusual eye redness, pain, or new vision changes, contact your health care provider right away.
How Does Vevye Compare to Other Cyclosporine Eye Drops for Dry Eye?
Vevye is a prescription eye drop that came out in 2023. But cyclosporine (the active ingredient in Vevye) has been used as a common treatment for dry eye disease for over 20 years. Other cyclosporine eye drops that are FDA-approved for dry eye disease are also available.
There are some differences between Vevye and other cyclosporine eye drops. A health care provider can help determine the right option for you, but here are a few differences worth noting:
- Different formulations: To make eye drops, the active ingredient may be dissolved in various types of liquids. Drugmakers try to create formulations that minimize side effects. Vevye is a water-free, oil-free solution. Some people may tolerate one formulation better than another.
- Packaging: Some eye drops come in multiple-dose vials, while others come in smaller, single-dose containers that are individually packaged. Some people may have trouble holding or using eye drops that come in the smaller, single-dose containers.
- Generic status: Some eye drop medicines are brand only, while others have generic versions available. Generic medicines tend to cost less than brand medicines.
Is There Any Cost Assistance Available?
A savings program is available from the company that makes Vevye. It may reduce the amount you pay. Whether you qualify to enroll may depend on what type of insurance you have or if you are uninsured. Visit this website to see if you’re eligible for copay savings. You can also call 833-442-7769 to speak to a representative about financial support options.
