Autologous / allogeneic serum tears
Dry eye · Rx (compounded)
Trade namesCompounded 20-100%
Drug classBiologic tear substitute
StrengthTypically 20% serum in saline
AvailabilityRx (compounded)
Mechanism of actionSupplies epitheliotrophic factors absent from artificial tears, EGF, vitamin A, TGF-β, fibronectin, substance P, supporting corneal epithelial health.
Indication / reason for useSevere DED, persistent epithelial defects, neurotrophic keratitis, graft-vs-host disease, post-refractive neuropathic dry eye.
Usual adult dosing1 drop 4-8×/day; kept frozen and thawed in working aliquots.
PreservativePreservative-free , a preservative-free option exists
Contact lensesGenerally used with lenses out; may be used with bandage lenses under specialist guidance.
Common / important adverse effectsRare; risk of contamination if handling/cold-chain is poor.
Contraindications & cautionsActive systemic infection in donor; inability to maintain cold chain.
Pregnancy / lactationNot applicable to product itself.
Practice notesRequires a compounding pharmacy and patient blood draw; label storage and discard dates clearly.
Chair-side reference only. Dosing, contraindications and pregnancy guidance here are not exhaustive. Confirm against the current prescribing information and the patient’s full history before prescribing or advising.