gms | German Medical Science

Topical drug delivery is the most important dosage form currently used to treat ocular disorders ranging from ocular surface diseases to anterior segment disorders. However, the unique anatomical and physiological properties of the eye complicate effective drug delivery to the targeted tissue. These include anatomical barriers such as the cornea, the sclera, the different layers of the retina and the blood retinal barriers as well as dynamic barriers (aqueous humor flow, tear dilution and others). These barriers pose a major challenge in particular for the drug delivery to the posterior pole of the eye. Thus, a better understanding of the pharmacokinetics of topical applied drugs may allow for the further development of noninvasive sustained drug delivery systems and may in turn substantially improve drug efficacy.

This talk will focus on theses special challenges for the development of topical drugs in ophthalmology. The special characteristics of the anatomical and physiological properties that may influence drug efficacy will be summarized. New developments to better assess the ocular residency time and the pharmacokinetics in the anterior chamber and the posterior pole of the eye will be discussed.