After surgery, several complications can occur as the
human body is susceptible to infections, inflammatory response, and swelling.
This is especially true in ocular surgery due to the relatively delicate structure
of the eye. There are several medications which are effective at preventing
infection (antibiotics), inflammation (steroids), and ocular over-pressure
(hypotensives). However, each of these medicines is administered repeatedly
through eye-drops. Eye-drops typically work poorly as the medicine is flushed
away by tears and patients tend to forget to use them. A better solution to
ensure appropriate application of medicine is to apply timed-release using a
thermogel encapsulating microparticles to ensure each drug gets released at the
appropriate times. Recently, researchers at University of Michigan, Johns
Hopkins University, and Howard University, used several polymers including PLGA-PEG-PLGA
(Polyvivo AK012, AK091), PLA-PEG-PLA (Polyvivo AK100), PLCL-PEG-PLCL (Polyvivo
AK108, AK109) as well as PLGA (Polyvivo AP043, AP018, and AP087) from
PolySciTech (www.polyscitech.com)
to generate microparticle loaded thermogels for controlled delivery of multiple
therapeutic agents. This research holds promise to improve the outcomes from ocular
surgery by preventing inflammation, infection and swelling. Read more: Mohammadi,
Maziar, Kisha Patel, Seyedeh P. Alaie, Ron B. Shmueli, Cagri G. Besirli, Ronald
G. Larson, and Jordan J. Green. "Injectable drug depot engineered to
release multiple ophthalmic therapeutic agents with precise time profiles for
postoperative treatment following ocular surgery." Acta biomaterialia
(2018). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S174270611830240X
“Abstract: A multi-drug delivery platform is developed
to address current shortcomings of post-operative ocular drug delivery. The
sustained biodegradable drug release system is composed of biodegradable
polymeric microparticles (MPs) incorporated into a bulk biodegradable hydrogel
made from triblock copolymers with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) center blocks
and hydrophobic biodegradable polyester blocks such as
poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), or Poly(lactide-co-caprolactone)
(PLCL) blocks. This system is engineered to flow as a liquid solution at room
temperature for facile injection into the eye and then quickly gel as it warms
to physiological body temperatures (approximately 37 °C). The hydrogel acts as
an ocular depot that can release three different drug molecules at programmed
rates and times to provide optimal release of each species. In this manuscript,
the hydrogel is configured to release a broad-spectrum antibiotic, a potent
corticosteroid, and an ocular hypotensive, three ophthalmic therapeutic agents
that are essential for post-operative management after ocular surgery, each
drug released at its own timescale. The delivery platform is designed to mimic
current topical application of postoperative ocular formulations, releasing the
antibiotic for up to a week, and the corticosteroid and the ocular hypotensive
agents for at least a month. Hydrophobic blocks, such as PLCL, were utilized to
prolong the release duration of the biomolecules. This system also enables
customization by being able to vary the initial drug loading to linearly tune
the drug dose released, while maintaining a constant drug release profile over
time. This minimally invasive biodegradable multi-drug delivery system is capable
of replacing a complex ocular treatment regimen with a simple injection. Such a
depot system has the potential to increase patient medication compliance and
reduce both the immediate and late term complications following ophthalmic
surgery. Statement of Significance: After ocular surgery, patients routinely
receive multiple medications including antibiotics, steroids and ocular
hypotensives to ensure optimal surgical outcomes. The current standard of care
for postoperative treatment after ocular surgery involves using eye drops
daily, which has limited effectiveness mainly due to poor patient adherence. To
improve patient experience and outcomes, this article presents the first
thermoresponsive hydrogel able to release multiple drug molecules for the application
of post-operative treatment following ocular surgery. By varying the parameters
such as hydrogel type and polymer hydrophobicity, the drug release profile,
duration and dosage can finely be tuned. The approach presented in this article
can readily be applied to other applications by simply changing the drug loaded
in the drug delivery system.”
BPCR conference (August 29, 2018 9AM - 4PM: Kurz Purdue Technology Center,
West Lafayette, IN) is a free, 1-day scientific networking conference hosted by
Akina, Inc. which focuses on research companies in the biotechnology,
pharmaceutical, medical, and broader life-science fields. See more at BPCRconference.com
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