Sponsored by Shire

Although critically important to the practice of optometry, a sophisticated understanding of dry eye disease (DED), is a relatively recent development. Just 20 years ago, DED was a poorly understood entity for which there was a significant controversy with respect to diagnosis. This picture began to change with the publication of the Report of the National Eye Institute/Industry Workshop on Clinical Trials in Dry Eyes. Like the subsequent DEWS report, the NEI/Industry Workshop brought together and gave structure to our then-current knowledge of DED and laid the groundwork for future research and understanding. Thanks to significant interest—including commercial interest—the field has grown rapidly. So much has happened that a second DEWS Report (DEWS II) is now being undertaken.