Evolution Of A Novel Polymer To Overcome Limitations In Sustained Drug Delivery In Ophthalmology

Blindness and vision impairment pose an enormous burden on patients, but challenges specific to the physiology of the eye — the retina-blood barrier and the rapid clearance of the medicine from the intravitreal space — complicate the development of new therapies and necessitate innovative drug delivery methods. Current delivery methods for retinal diseases often entail local needle injections, causing significant discomfort and undesired side-effects. Biodegradable, locally applied drug delivery systems offer a more accessible, and ultimately effective, alternative to treat chronic eye conditions.

However, the eye is an immune privileged site in the body, a feature which defends the eye function but presents a challenge for the bio-erosion of an enzymatically degradable material. As a result, a hydrolytically degradable drug delivery carrier is preferred for ophthalmic applications. The molecular structure in DSM Biomedical’s TheraPEA™ polymer enables degradation while still preserving material biocompatibility and drug release properties, positioning it as a promising excipient for drug delivery solutions in ophthalmology.