Title:Drug Delivery to the Back of the Eye Following Topical Administration: An Update on Research and Patenting Activity
Volume: 8
Issue: 1
Author(s): Sai H.S. Boddu, Himanshu Gupta and Soohi Patel
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Drug delivery, eye drops, posterior segment, retinal diseases.
Abstract: Drug delivery to the back of the eye following topical administration remains an unmet need for the scientific
community. Treatment of posterior segment diseases requires localized and long-term drug delivery to the retina, choroid,
and Bruch’s membrane. Until the last decade, there was limited evidence from large clinical trials that demonstrated the
usefulness of pharmacotherapy compared to laser therapy or other vitreoretinal surgical techniques for the treatment of
retinal diseases. This paradigm has shifted in recent years, with strong evidence demonstrating superior efficacy of ophthalmic
drugs compared to previous gold standards. However, ophthalmologists are left with no options other than administering
the therapeutics via implants and intravitreal injections, which are highly invasive and associated with patient
non-compliance. A non-invasive topical therapy would enhance patient compliance and minimize the side-effects associated
with intraocular implants and intravitreal injections. In an attempt to enhance patient compliance, the focus of research
has shifted to the development of novel small molecule-based eye drop formulations. This review article discusses
the relevant patents and summarizes the resurgence in the treatment of posterior segment eye diseases through topical
drug administration.
