Ocular Drug Delivery Systems - A Review

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
New ocular drug delivery systems are currently receiving increased attention, in part because of the expected emergence of new drugs with short biological half-lives whose usefulness may depend on a more continuous drug supply than eyedrops can provide, and also in part because of the potential of some delivery systems to reduce the side effects of the more potent drugs recently introduced or presently under investigation. Some ocular delivery systems extend the duration of drug action by enhancement of corneal absorption; these include soluble gels and emulsions, hydrophilic ocular inserts, ion-pair associations, prodrugs, and liposomes. Other delivery systems provide for a controlled release of drugs; they can be based on any of several different mechanisms and include both erodible and nonerodible matrices. The delivery systems are described in this review, along with their mechanisms, limitations, and the therapeutic rationale for their use.