Australian blood donors deliver new hope for those battling debilitating dry eye disease

A new eye drop made from donated blood will provide a potentially life-changing treatment for those battling severe dry eye and other debilitating eye surface diseases.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood’s new allogenic serum eye drops (AlloSED) will treat severe eye surface diseases unresponsive to other therapies, offering new hope for patients such as those with severe dry eyes, stem cell transplant recipients, and older people at risk of losing their sight.

From this week, AlloSED will be provided to eligible patients free of charge on request from ophthalmologists registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). 

“Severe eye diseases can greatly affect quality of life. Poor vision can stop people from driving, reading, going outside, and even working,” said Lifeblood Chief Medical Officer Dr Joanne Pink.

“Our eyes need to be well-lubricated for us to be comfortable and see clearly. Without enough fluid, there is a risk of developing serious and painful eye conditions,” said Dr Pink.

“As well as lubricating the eye, the healing properties in AlloSED and the rich, complex mix of proteins it contains help repair the surface of the eye.”

Previously, patients could access eye drops made from their own donated blood, but this option was limited to people who were medically able and eligible to donate, and to those who lived near a blood donor centre.

“There was a clear need for a new serum eye drop that could provide equal access to a greater number of vision-impaired patients, including those with medical conditions who were unable to donate, and we’re excited to be making this new treatment widely and nationally available,” said Dr Pink. 

“AlloSED is the first Australian blood product to be delivered directly to the patient’s door, reducing reliance on hospital and pathology services and removing the need for patients to travel to hospital, which is extremely difficult for people with eye problems.”

Lifeblood expects to support around 1,100 patients in the first year, with patient numbers expected to increase by around 50 per cent in the following year.

Dr Rena Hirani, a Lifeblood researcher who led a publication reporting on the effectiveness of serum eye drops on 186 patients in a Lifeblood study, said most participants reported improvements in severe dry eye symptoms within months. 

“Severe dry eyes can be very painful, and many patients described it as feeling like they constantly have something in their eyes. One patient described it as like having rocks in her eyes,” Dr Hirani said.

“Patients described blood-derived drops as life-changing, and their gratitude for a solution that would help them have normal lives, when all else had failed, was immense.”

AlloSED will be made from the blood donations of male donors with blood group AB, a rarer blood type found in only 4 per cent of the population. 

Group AB blood from male donors lacks antibodies that could damage the eyes of some patients. 

“We’d like to thank Australian blood donors for their life-giving donations. Without their generosity AlloSED simply wouldn’t be possible,” said Dr Pink.

Patients will need to meet clinical guidelines developed by Lifeblood in collaboration with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO).

AHPRA-registered ophthalmologists can request AlloSED for their patients via the Lifeblood website. 
Serum eyedrops (SED) | Australian Red Cross Lifeblood