Pharmacokinetic aspects of retinal drug delivery

Drug delivery to the posterior eye segment is an important challenge in ophthalmology, because many diseases affect the retina and choroid leading to impaired vision or blindness. Currently, intravitreal injections are the method of choice to administer drugs to the retina, but this approach is applicable only in selected cases (e.g. anti-VEGF antibodies and soluble receptors). There are two basic approaches that can be adopted to improve retinal drug delivery: prolonged and/or retina targeted delivery of intravitreal drugs and use of other routes of drug administration, such as periocular, suprachoroidal, sub-retinal, systemic, or topical. Properties of the administration route, drug and delivery system determine the efficacy and safety of these approaches. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic factors determine the required dosing rates and doses that are needed for drug action. In addition, tolerability factors limit the use of many materials in ocular drug delivery. This review article provides a critical discussion of retinal drug delivery, particularly from the pharmacokinetic point of view. This article does not include an extensive review of drug delivery technologies, because they have already been reviewed several times recently. Instead, we aim to provide a systematic and quantitative view on the pharmacokinetic factors in drug delivery to the posterior eye segment. This review is based on the literature and unpublished data from the authors' laboratory.Peer reviewe

Drug Delivery Technology Development in Canada

Canada continues to have a rich history of ground-breaking research in drug delivery within academic institutions, pharmaceutical industry and the biotechnology community

Recent Clinical Research on Glaucoma

In the past few years, knowledge about glaucoma diagnosis and follow up has evolved dramatically through advances in intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, corneal biomechanics, structural and functional assessment of the ocular surface, anterior chamber, retina, optic nerve and intracranial visual pathways, as well as the advent of artificial intelligence. In addition, the development of new modalities of IOP-lowering and non-IOP-lowering drugs, alternative deliveries, refined laser technologies, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) techniques with different implants have widened the therapeutic possibilities for treating this disease. Finally, current insights into risk factors and quality of life in relation to glaucomatous impairment are emerging. The purpose of this Special Issue is to present the latest exciting clinical developments that are taking place in the field of glaucoma