Title : The potential of drug release systems in the treatment of ocular diseases
Abstract:
Ophthalmic drug delivery is an essential important area of research that aims to improve the efficacy and convenience of treatment for various eye conditions. Therapies based on applying of eye drops are the most commonly used form of treatment, constituting approximately 90 % of the preparations available on the market. However, due to the unsatisfactory results of their use, including low bioavailability of approximately 5 %, several efforts were made to develop systems that release drugs in a controlled manner and are characterized by higher bioavailability of active substances.
The use of carriers such as contact lenses (CLs) in ophthalmological therapies allows for a significant extension of the residence time of drug molecules on the cornea. In the case of eye drops it is a few minutes, while in the case of CLs, it is several hours. Active substances can be applied to their surfaces using various techniques. The dip coating process is the most commonly used method.
Drug Modified Contact Lenses (DMCL) are a promising therapeutic tool, especially for patients struggling with chronic eye diseases. Their matrices are modified with various active substances, including Cyclosporine A (CyA). CyA was first isolated in Norway in 1970 from a fungus called Tolypocladium Inflatum. It is an immunosuppressive drug with a broad spectrum of action, which is why it is used in many fields of medicine, among others in ophthalmology, in the symptomatic treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome (DED).
In our presentation, loading techniques of Cyclosporine A on drugstore contact lenses will be proposed. Obtained drug release profiles for different drug loading parameters will also be discussed.
- Presentation of the benefits of using controlled drug delivery systems (DDS)
- Discussion of selected research results obtained during the modification of selected polymer carriers with cyclosporine A
- A potential to expand research on DDS modified with various active substances and techniques by other research groups.
