New biomaterials and ocular drug delivery

Summary The need for new methods of delivering pharmacologically active agents to the eye has never been greater with the growing incidence of ocular disorders. Polymeric drug delivery methods show great promise for enhancing drug residence time as well as convenience for the patient. This talk will focus on three novel polymer based drug delivery systems developed in our labs. A mucoadhesive micelle system has been developed using acceptable polymers and has been shown to enhance the on eye residence time and the delivery of cyclosporine A in the treatment of dry eye disease. A transparent, in situ gelling injectable system has been examined to enhance the delivery of various drugs for treating diseases of the back of the eye. Finally, a Vitamin E based system is injectable, gelling upon exposure to aqueous conditions will be described. The potential of these systems as well as their limitations will be discussed and next steps in their development with a goal of creating a clinically viable drug delivery system will be described.