Glaucoma is an eye disease that can damage the optic nerve and lead to irreversible vision loss. It affects an estimated 60 million people around the world, but is one of the most easily treatable diseases, typically only requiring medicated drops. Unfortunately, prescription eye drops are one of the most difficult drug delivery methods to adhere to; patients are often required to take their eye drops up to three times a day, and much of the drug misses the the target location on the eye and ends up in the patient’s blood, or in many cases, misses the eye altogether.
At UCSF, researcher Dr. Tejal Desai has developed a tiny implant that can deliver glaucoma medication directly to the inside of the eye where it’s needed. The device, which is about 3mm square in size, consists of a biodegradable chamber that can be filled with anti-glaucoma medication. It’s implanted just inside the eye through a tiny incision where it can release the medication for over six months at a time.
Desai and her team recently finished a proof-of-concept study in which a number of these devices will implanted in leporine (rabbit) eyes to reduce intraocular pressure. They were able to measure a successful reduction in intraocular pressure with only minor complications over a 24 week period. Hopefully this will be one of the signals to begin trials with human glaucoma patients will soon.
Article in Journal of Controlled Release: Long-term intraocular pressure reduction with intracameral polycaprolactone glaucoma devices that deliver a novel anti-glaucoma agent…
More info from UCSF: Hiding in Plain Sight…
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