Comparison of Efficacy between Topical Cyclosporine 0.09% and Chloroquine 0.5% in Moderate to Severe Dry Eye Patients (Code-T0327)

Introduction: Dry eye disease (DED) is a chronic ocular condition that affects the quality of life 
and surgical outcomes in ophthalmology. It is characterized by tear film instability, increased 
osmolarity, and inflammation of the ocular surface. Conventional treatments include artificial 
tears, while topical immunomodulators such as cyclosporine and chloroquine have been explored 
for their anti-inflammatory effects. This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of topical 
cyclosporine 0.09% and chloroquine 0.5% in patients with moderate to severe dry eye. 
Aims and Objectives 
Aim:  
To study the comparison in terms of efficacy between topical cyclosporine 0.09% and 
chloroquine 0.5% in moderate to severe dry eye patients.  
Objectives:  
1. To Compare the various side effects between topical cyclosporine 0.09% and chloroquine 
0.5%  
2. To compare the tolerance/compliance between topical cyclosporine 0.09% and chloroquine 
0.5%  
Methods: A comparative study was conducted at Sarojini Naidu Medical College, Agra. Patients 
with moderate to severe dry eye were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either 
cyclosporine 0.09% or chloroquine 0.5% eye drops twice daily for 21 days. The Ocular Surface 
Disease Index (OSDI), Schirmer test, tear breakup time (TBUT), and corneal fluorescein staining 
were evaluated at baseline and follow-up visits on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. 
Results: Both groups demonstrated improvement in tear film stability and ocular symptoms. 
However, cyclosporine showed a greater increase in tear production, while chloroquine was 
associated with better symptomatic relief. Side effects, including mild irritation and burning 
sensation, were noted in both groups, with better patient compliance in the cyclosporine group. 
Conclusion: Both cyclosporine 0.09% and chloroquine 0.5% are effective in managing moderate 
to severe dry eye. Cyclosporine demonstrated superior tear production, whereas chloroquine 
showed greater symptomatic relief. Further studies are needed to validate these findings. 
Keywords: Dry Eye Disease, Cyclosporine, Chloroquine, Tear Film Stability, Schirmer Test, 
OSDI.