Dry eye disease (dry eye) is a multifactorial disorder of the ocular surface. Dry eye is one of the most frequent ocular disorders, affecting 5% to 50% of the entire population at all ages. Evidence suggests that inflammation and hyperosmolarity are considered core mechanisms in the development of dry eye. Dry eye is accompanied by changes in tear composition including enhanced hyperosmolarity and secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and adhesion molecules. All these factors may act as mediators of tissue damage leading to lysis of cell membranes and tight junctions in epithelial cells. Eventually these processes lead to corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells death as well as conjunctival goblet cell dysfunction and death. Anti-inflammatory agents for dry eye include corticosteroids, immunomodulator agents and essential fatty acids. Recently, an integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) antagonist, lifitegrast ophthalmic solution (Xiidra) was approved in the USA for the treatment of dry eye. Lifitegrast blocks the binding of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) to LFA-1. The following review attempts to present a current update of the available anti-inflammatory agents for dry eye disease.