Current technological approaches in ocular drug delivery

Abstract

Efficient ocular drug delivery remains a challenge for pharmaceutical scientists, due to anatomical and physiological barriers of the eye and its protective mechanisms. Most commonly available ophthalmic preparations are in form of eye drops and ointments. These conventional dosage forms suffer from different disadvantages like poor ocular bioavailability, impermeability of corneal epithelium, short residence time, need of frequent instillations. In order to overcome these limitations are developed different nanoscale drug delivery systems. This review highlights the current technological approaches and applications of nanoparticulate systems like liposomes, niosomes, microemulsions, nanosuspensions, nanoparticles, dendrimers, cyclodextrins. Advantages and disadvantages of various drug delivery systems are compared and briefly described their formulation approaches, physicochemical properties and therapeutic significances. They can provide sustained and controlled drug delivery, resolve solubility and stability issues and enhance the number of drugs available for formulations and development. Nanoparticulate systems in the field of ocular drug delivery promise a significant improvement in the therapy of ocular diseases managing better bioavailability and drug efficacy.