If you find that your current medications for dry eyes are not working, particularly after you have had LASIK, or if you have a chronic condition like Sjögren’s, or damage from surgery, the autologous serum eye drops developed at Sidra Medicine, are made specifically to address your dry eye syndrome.

This treatment is particularly beneficial if you have:

• Severe Dry Eye Disease
• Sjögren’s Syndrome
• Post-refractive surgery dryness (e.g., LASIK)
• Graft-versus-host disease
• Ocular surface disorders that don’t respond to conventional drops

Important note for referring physicians:

Patients suffering with complex dry eye disease secondary to a wide range of clinical conditions causing ocular surface disease (Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Sjögren’s syndrome, persistent epithelial defects, graft-versus-host disease, post-LASIK dry eyes, neurotrophic keratopathy, diabetes mellitus, superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis, recurrent corneal erosions, aniridic limbal stem cell deficiency) and supportive therapy for ocular surface reconstruction.

The treatment can also be utilized for those who require supportive therapy for specialized ocular surface surgical procedures, or for use in the acute management of ocular surface injury (chemical, mechanical, thermal, immunological).

For details on how to refer a patient to Sidra Medicine, please click here.

To order the customized eye drops, you will need a referral from your Ophthalmologist to Sidra Medicine, where we will process your blood and proceed with the development of your eye drops at our GMP Facility.

Please note that we do not accept walk-ins for this service. You require a referral and a confirmed date with Sidra Medicine before you come to give your blood for processing.

Your Ophthalmologist can find details about how to refer you to Sidra Medicine, here.

Once you have a referral, you can contact us on 4003 3333 to speak to a healthcare professional to schedule the appointment for producing your Eye Drops .

Once you have a date, please come to Sidra Medicine Outpatient Building.

Pay and register at Sidra Medicine as a patient. A trained healthcare professional will safely collect your blood sample.

Please fast before you come to give your blood sample (from 9 to 12 hours after a light meal). You are allowed only to have take a tea or coffee with sugar but with no milk during the food fasting.

The eye drops are very similar to natural tears and contain enzymes and vitamins.

No, the eye drops are similar to natural tears. However it is critical that you follow our guidelines regarding the usage and storage of the eye drops.  (Please see Q&A below)

If you are concerned about an adverse reaction to the drops, please note that this is rare. If you experience any symptoms that you believe may be related to the eye drops, such as redness or pain in the eyes, suspend the use of the eye drops immediately and inform your doctor. Your doctor will advise on dosage or changes to your treatment protocol.

Your blood is extracted and processed under sterile conditions to create your customized eye drops.

With one small blood collection we can prepare two four or more months of eye drop supply.

Every time we produce a new batch of your eye drops, you will also need to undergo a few blood tests. A consent form is required for first time use and will be updated every 12 months

Based on the quantity of eye drops your doctor prescribed, the final product is made ready and frozen for you.

Your eye drops will be ready in just one week. You will receive a call to pick it up from our Dry Eye Clinic.

Your customised eye drops will be developed at our GMP-licensed facility and Certified ISO 9001:2015, under strict international standards for safety, sterility, and quality. We adhere the newest guidelines from The Royal College of Ophthalmology of London.

Sidra Medicine’s GMP certification means that your Autologous Serum Eye Drops are made with the same standards used to manufacture hospital medications.

At this stage, the customized eye drops are only available as a self-pay option.

Please check with your insurance provider before you book appointment for eye drops production

The serum eye drops come in a single use pouch, one for each day. Every month you will receive 30 single-use pouches of the eye drops. Each pouch has your name and date of birth printed along product identification details.

The 30 pouches are wrapped in a sealed bag and packed in a storage box. The box is labeled with your full name and date of birth.

Your eye drops will be packed in a refrigerated transport box. It is important to keep the transport time to a minimum to make sure your drops stay as cold as possible. We recommend heading straight home once you receive the box of eye drops.

As there are no preservatives used in the manufacturing process, your eye drops MUST be stored in a freezer and only thawed one pouch at a time.

Since your freezer is not a medical one, they must be used within one month from when you collected them at Sidra Medicine.

Each batch of eye drops produced from your blood lasts 12 months.  It can take time to prepare your eye drops, therefore please inform your doctor well ahead if you need more supply to avoid any gaps in the treatment.

The expiry of the drops is 12 months from production date. The expiration is written on the product.

When required for use, thaw one pouch by placing it at room temperature and leaving it to defrost naturally. Once defrosted, keep it in a normal refrigerator. Do not warm or heat the eye drops.

During use, remove from the refrigerator for the shortest time possible for instillation in your eyes.

*The thawed pouch can be used for the day but then must be discarded. Do not use a single pouch for more than one day.

Before opening the pouch, you must wash your hands. Bacteria normally live on our skin, eyelashes and on the surface of our eyes.

Avoid touching the dripper against any part of your eyes or eyelids. Do not touch the dripper with your hands. This will minimize the chance of bacterial contamination.

Signs of improvement may appear after four weeks. However, for best results it may take up to nine months of regular daily use of eye drops. If you have questions related to your specific condition, please contact your doctor.

Your customised eye drops will be made onsite at Sidra Medicine’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility. The GMP is licensed to develop and produce individualized therapeutic products and biopharmaceuticals onsite in Qatar.

We are the only facility in the country that has the means and the resources to develop the drops.

GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice – a globally recognized set of pharmaceutical-grade standards. It ensures that medical products are produced in sterile, tightly controlled environments, with consistent quality, purity, and safety.

Sidra Medicine’s GMP certification means that your Autologous Serum Eye Drops are made with the same standards used to manufacture hospital medications.

Adverse reactions are rare. If you experience any symptoms that you believe may be related to the eye drops, such as redness or pain in the eyes, suspend the use of the eye drops immediately and inform your doctor. Your doctor will advise on dosage or changes to your treatment protocol.

Please note that your eye drops are for personal use only as they have been customised for your eyes and must not be shared, as this may transmit infectious diseases

Once you have finished your dosage of the eye drops, please contact Sidra Medicine to book another consultation, as you will need to undergo the procedure of giving your blood again, for the clinic to process a new batch of the drops.

Please note that it can take time to prepare your eye drops, therefore please inform your doctor well ahead if you need more supply to avoid any gaps in the treatment.