I wasn't going to bring this up...

[Montgumski]

...but I'm going to anyway. I know I will probably banished to vast regions of cyberspace for this. This might sound a little insensitive and extreme but would be for the best in the long-term.

If enough of we dry eye sufferers stopped buying eye drops, and tried to cope with the discomfort for a while it would put pressure on these eye drop companies to get off there duffs and actually innovate something. As is, they are just sitting back and making a killing off our dependence on them.

This proposition doesn't contradict my previous statements on the thread about a cure because I am of the position that free markets ultimately will produce longer lasting or cheaper solutions. A nationwide boycott of eye drops would only expediate the process.

P.S.
I do like to create controversy but I would like to think the women enjoy it. :) Just don't make me the next Holmes, even though he was a cool guy.

-Montgumski

[dianat]

Montgumski,

Hey, your opinion is welcome here, of course, even if it's a bit misguided. ;)

First off, I can barely get through one night without eyedrops so I'm not sure how to expect the whole world to just stop using them. I am not addicted to eyedrops because a pharmaceutical company got me "hooked". I'm uncomfortable, so I use them.

Secondly, I'm not an economist but love capitalism, and I find your theory to be flawed.

Pharmaceutical companies are motivated by what sells.

Restasis sales are expected to be between $270 million to $290 million in 2006. That should be motivation enough for Allergan and Allergan's competitors to "think of something better", don't you think? That's $290 million just this year for a drug that can take months for people to even notice improvement...if any at all. If a company were to market a more effective eyedrop imagine the money to be made! I'd spend a lot of money on an effective treatment for my dry eyes.

No, keep using those eyedrops, Montgumski. Pharmaceutical companies need to know there's money to be made.

Diana

[kitty]

IMHO, if I stop using drops, the only person I hurt is myself. I don't think I would risk the health of my cornea and my eyesight at the expense of proving a point. I'm scared enough about the consequences of DES (loss of quality of life and loss of sight) over the long term as it is.

[Rebecca Petris]

...I know I will probably banished to vast regions of cyberspace for this.
Naw, we wouldn't do that.... Only time I remember where we had to get tough was censoring some mildly pornographic posts once or twice :p

I agree with Diana. Allergan has amply proven that prescription dry eye drugs are capable of generating 9 figure annual sales and that's enough motivation for some big pharma R&D. However, innovation is still badly needed, particularly in areas of treatment that do NOT have as large a potential market as Restasis. This is where I hope in time our growing community may be able to do some "innovating" ourselves, in terms of finding ways to lobby effectively for more research (through NIH or whatever).

[calli66]

My 2 cents

I can't do without eyedrop products, either. But--once again--our country (USA), our culture, follows a pattern of "curing" (with expensive drugs) rather than "preventing." I'm thinking here of a parallel with, say, cancer or obesity-where there are clear environmental pollution and life style choices that are part of the problem. There's not as much motivation to clean up the environment or make difficult personal changes--as there is to just find an instant "cure" and take a pill. I'm not "blaming" here--that's just the way it is for now.

As for my eyes--where I live the air pollution from vehicles has increased tremendously--my eyes feel much better when I'm out in the country. So, that's the environment part. I could choose to move....

I also attribute part of my Dry Eye problem to having worn contact lenses for many years--I still wear them. But I see better with them.... And why am I so darn MYOPIC in the first place? Well, that's another whole issue, isn't it.......
C66

[Jeff]

Hey Montgumski,

I love the rebel idea, but I have to agree with everybody else here. The drops are needed. Nothing like a bit of competetion to get more (and better) products produced. There is money to be made in the person/company that brings a better drop to the public, and I think they should make alot of money in doing so. After all we are waiting patiently to see what they bring us with money in hand.

Jeff

[indrep]

The "industry" is looking into ways to help DES patients. Unfortunately the tear film is a very complex fluid. Secondly, so many things can affect it and the ocular surface that is seems at times to be an impossible equation to solve. But we know improving the osmalarity helps, we know increasing goblet cells helps and we know clean lids help. The problem is how to do these things in a way that patients can do routinely and inexpensively. That is the mystery and folks are working on it. And don't forget many diseases are not curable but are treatable, that looks like what DES is. We all just wish there was a better treatment.

[Chris]

I know, buy more Dwelle, Freshkote and Dakrina and not the OTC drops.


Chris