Drug Delivery to the Posterior Segment of the Eye: Biopharmaceutic and Pharmacokinetic Considerations

The treatment of the posterior-segment ocular diseases, such as age-related eye diseases (AMD) or diabetic retinopathy (DR), present a challenge for ophthalmologists due to the complex anatomy and physiology of the eye. This specialized organ is composed of various static and dynamic barriers that r...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rubén Varela-Fernández, Victoria Díaz-Tomé, Andrea Luaces-Rodríguez, Andrea Conde-Penedo, Xurxo García-Otero, Asteria Luzardo-Álvarez, Anxo Fernández-Ferreiro, Francisco J. Otero-Espinar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/12/3/269
Description
Summary:The treatment of the posterior-segment ocular diseases, such as age-related eye diseases (AMD) or diabetic retinopathy (DR), present a challenge for ophthalmologists due to the complex anatomy and physiology of the eye. This specialized organ is composed of various static and dynamic barriers that restrict drug delivery into the target site of action. Despite numerous efforts, effective intraocular drug delivery remains unresolved and, therefore, it is highly desirable to improve the current treatments of diseases affecting the posterior cavity. This review article gives an overview of pharmacokinetic and biopharmaceutics aspects for the most commonly-used ocular administration routes (intravitreal, topical, systemic, and periocular), including information of the absorption, distribution, and elimination, as well as the benefits and limitations of each one. This article also encompasses different conventional and novel drug delivery systems designed and developed to improve drug pharmacokinetics intended for the posterior ocular segment treatment.
ISSN:1999-4923