{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,27]],"date-time":"2026-10-27T13:40:52Z","timestamp":1793108452641,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786579200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Wenzhou Major Scientific and Technological Special Project","award":["ZS2017015"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ZS2017015"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Ocular surface inflammation has been identified as a key causative factor for dry eye. The current study investigates the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of fenofibric acid (FFA) as a topical eye drops in controlling ocular surface inflammation. Methods: FFA was tested for its dissolution profile and its cytotoxicity in vitro, and its permeability through ocular surface tissues was tested ex vivo. A safe dose was tested on the Sprague\u2013Dawley (SD) rat eye as an eyedrop for ocular safety and ocular pharmacokinetics. The efficacy was tested on a benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-induced dry eye model in the SD rats. The outcome measurements were analyzed against the untouched contralateral eyes of the animals. Results: The study found that FFA had a similar dissolution profile in PBS (phosphate-buffered saline) as is in saline; however, the saturated concentration in PBS was 81 times higher. FFA had an IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) of 282.4 \u00b5M on HCECs (human corneal epithelium cells). The FFA permeation rate for the cornea was 1.77 \u00d7 10\u22126 \u00b5g\/cm2\/min, 4.95 \u00d7 10\u22126 \u00b5g\/cm2\/min for the conjunctiva, and 11.32 \u00d7 10\u22126 \u00b5g\/cm2\/min for the complex of the sclera\/choroid. A regimen of twice-a-day eyedrops (500 \u00b5g\/mL) demonstrated good ocular safety and therapeutic efficacy on the BAC-induced dry eye model in SD rats, with significant effects on the reduction in corneal edema and on preventing the loss of goblet cells from dry eye pathology. Conclusions: These findings strongly suggest that FFA eye drops at a concentration of 500 \u00b5g\/mL may effectively control ocular surface inflammation and relieve dry-eye discomfort.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics18080998","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T11:33:46Z","timestamp":1786620826000},"page":"998","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Potential of Fenofibric Acid as Topical Eye Drops for Management of Dry Eye Syndrome"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Guilin","family":"Tan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"},{"name":"Guizhou Provincial People\u2019s Hospital, Guiyang 550002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Miao","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peng","family":"Xie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chengying","family":"Bian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9707-760X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Weizhuo","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shaoqun","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2628-9896","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yuanhui","family":"Jin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0748-5173","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lingyun","family":"Cheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, 270 Xueyuan Road, Wenzhou 325027, China"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Jacob\u2019s Retina Center at Shiley Eye Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1687","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)61607-9","article-title":"Effect of fenofibrate on the need for laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy (FIELD study): A randomised controlled trial","volume":"370","author":"Keech","year":"2007","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMoa1001288","article-title":"Effects of Medical Therapies on Retinopathy Progression in Type 2 Diabetes","volume":"363","author":"Chew","year":"2010","journal-title":"N. 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