Abstract
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and medical therapy is the initial option for the treatment of this potentially blinding condition. Topical instillation of eye drops from the bottle is the most common glaucoma drug delivery form. Due to limited permeability of anterior ocular surface, natural clearance and drainage, eye drops contain large amounts of inactive ingredients. Effective penetration enhancers are known as irritants causing ocular discomfort. Although drug efficacy is determined by active ingredients, inactive agents can affect tolerance and can result in conjunctival irritation and hyperemia and influence patients’ adherence and quality of life.
Highlights
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and medical therapy is the initial option for the treatment of this potentially blinding condition
Current implantable drug delivery devices addressing patient non-compliance and fluctuations of intraocular pressure (IOP) issues, have a clear limitation—it is not possible to change, increase or decrease, or stop drug delivery once it is introduced into the eye
Slight alteration in the IOP-lowering efficacy of anti-glaucoma drugs can have a deleterious effect on the eyes in the long-term, as it is well-known that even slight increase in IOP can aggravate progression of glaucomatous visual field loss
Summary
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and medical therapy is the initial option for the treatment of this potentially blinding condition. Due to limited permeability of anterior ocular surface, natural clearance and drainage, eye drops contain large amounts of inactive ingredients. Current implantable drug delivery devices addressing patient non-compliance and fluctuations of intraocular pressure (IOP) issues, have a clear limitation—it is not possible to change, increase or decrease, or stop drug delivery once it is introduced into the eye. For chronic conditions such as glaucoma, it would be optimal to regulate drug delivery depending on the therapeutic response and progression of the disease.
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