Efficient delivery of anti-inflammatory therapeutics into inflamed ocular tissues is a challenging task, partly due to a patient’s ability to comply with the treatment as well as structural barriers in the eye. Moreover, systemic administration routes use a large dose to reach the required drug concentration at the ocular tissue, which can cause off-target systemic side effects. Local drug delivery systems such as topicals (e.g., eye drops, ointments) have an extremely low bioavailability due to the corneal epithelium barrier and fast clearance by tear film and blinking. Intraocular injection is one method to overcome some of these challenges, but it is quite invasive and may cause pain or other complications. Thus, a non-invasive approach that permits sustained drug delivery is needed.
Patch-based systems are a less-invasive drug delivery approach. Most ocular adhesive patches have focused on sealing and repairing ocular injuries without incorporating a sustained drug delivery system. Some patch-based delivery systems have been developed, but ocular patch-based systems in particular have had limited success. One example is drug-eluting soft contact lenses made of...
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