Advances in Biodegradable Ocular Drug Delivery Systems

Abstract

The limitations of existing medical therapies for ocular disorders include low drug bioavailability, nonspecificity, side effects, and poor treatment adherence to therapy. These limitations may be overcome through the use of sustained-release intraocular drug delivery systems. Critical to the development of such systems has been the introduction of biocompatible polymers (biodegradable and nonbiodegradable) that allow for drug release kinetics to be tailored for specific drugs and ocular diseases. Drug delivery systems composed of biodegradable polymers, such as poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid, appear to be particularly well suited for such applications. This review examines the characteristics of these polymers for medical applications, as well as the pharmacological properties, safety, and clinical effectiveness of biodegradable drug implants for the treatment of sight-threatening ocular diseases.