Key takeaways
Tyrvaya (varenicline) and Xiidra (lifitegrast) are both medications used to treat dry eye in adults, but they belong to different medication classes. Tyrvaya is a cholinergic agonist available as a nasal spray, while Xiidra is an LFA-1 antagonist available as eye drops. Tyrvaya works by helping your body produce more natural tear film, while Xiidra helps reduce inflammation in the eye by blocking a specific protein.Tyrvaya is typically used by spraying once in each nostril twice a day, whereas Xiidra is applied as one drop in each eye twice daily. Both medications are only available as brand-name products, with no generic versions currently available. Common side effects of Tyrvaya include sneezing, cough, and throat irritation, while Xiidra may cause eye irritation, a strange taste in the mouth, and unclear vision.
