A new technique that effectively delivers drugs to the eyes, using
microscopic needles, could offer hope to the millions of patients worldwide
suffering from common eye diseases that threaten vision such as glaucoma,
macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University
in America will present this research, entitled “Microneedles for Ocular Drug
Delivery,” to international experts at the Ophthalmic Drug Delivery symposium
being held at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain today.
The research looks at how microneedles can be used to deliver drugs to
the eye through a minimally invasive procedure. The needles used to penetrate
the eye only go as deep as half a millimetre into the eye tissue. This means
that the needles do not penetrate far enough to cause as much damage as
traditional needles. As a result, they can be applied to the eye using only
local anaesthetic.
This technique has the potential to revolutionise the way of treating
common eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic
retinopathy. Traditional delivery methods such as eye drops have difficulty
in efficiently delivering drugs to the back of the eye, and ordinary
injections are invasive as the needle penetrates across eye tissues. Repeated
injections with regular needles can also result in other serious
complications to vision.
Samirkumar Patel from the research team, said: “The eyes are one of the
most sensitive and delicate organs in the human body, and perhaps the most
fascinating. They present us with the window through which we view the world,
and are responsible for four fifths of all the information our brain
receives.
“Although the research is at an early stage it does show that it is
possible to use microneedles to effectively deliver drugs to targeted
sections of the eye, such as the anterior and posterior portions. No
inflammatory response or other adverse effects were observed in our early
tests. This is promising news for those who are suffering from vision
threatening diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic
retinopathy.”
The next stage of development will be further research to confirm safety
and gain a better understanding of the long-term effects.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the name of a group of eye diseases that affect vision. If
left untreated glaucoma can eventually cause blindness. Glaucoma is more
common in old age, and happens when the optic nerve in the eye is damaged.
Open angle glaucoma affects about two in every hundred people over the age of
40. However, this increases over the age of 70 to one person in ten.
Macular degeneration
Macular degeneration is a painless disorder that affects the macula, the
central part of the retina in the eyes, causing progressive loss of central
and detailed vision. Macular degeneration is the most common reason for
people in the UK to be registered blind, though total blindness almost never
occurs from this condition. Age-Related Macular Degeneration is the most
common form of macular degeneration although there are some rare forms that
affect younger people. The incidence increases with each decade over the age
of 50 to almost 15% by the age of 75. Macular degeneration is more common in
females. Other risk factors include family history, and smoking.
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common causes of blindness in the
UK in people between the ages of 30-65, and 12% of people who are registered
blind and partially sighted each year have diabetic eye disease. Retinopathy
means damage to the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish the retina,
the tissues in the back of the eye that deal with light. Damage to these
vessels causes blood leakage (haemorrhage), which may be small and confined
to the retina, or may extend forward into the jelly that fills the main
cavity of the eye (the vitreous gel). This can seriously affect the vision.
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain is the professional and
regulatory body for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales. It also
regulates pharmacy technicians on a voluntary basis, which is expected to
become statutory under anticipated legislation. The primary objectives of the
Society are to lead, regulate, develop and represent the profession of
pharmacy. The Society leads and supports the development of the profession
within the context of the public benefit. This includes the advancement of
science, practice, education and knowledge in pharmacy. In addition, it
promotes the profession’s policies and views to a range of external
stakeholders in a number of different forums. Following the publication in
2007 of the Government White Paper Trust, Assurance and Safety – The
Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st Century, the Society is
working towards the demerger of its regulatory and professional roles. This
will see the establishment of a new General Pharmaceutical Council and a new
professional body for pharmacy in 2010.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain