Ocular implants as drug delivery device in opthalmic therapeutics: An overview

Eye is a vital organ of our body and any complication can lead to serious effect on the visual acuity of the individual. Development of new drug candidates and novel drug delivery technologies for effective treatment of ocular diseases has shown a sharp increase in recent years. Treatment of anterior segment diseases has witnessed significant success owing to advances in prodrug approach and permeability enhancers. Intravitreal, subconjunctival, and periocular routes of administration and controlled release formulations of various carriers like nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, microemulsions, dendrimers and microparticles have emerged as novel strategies in ophthalmic therapeutics. Biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable implants to deliver drugs to the posterior segment of the eye are also being widely explored as therapeutic approaches. The present paper explores the technological development of implants as a therapeutic device in the treatment of various ocular disorders along with biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable polymer used in the fabrication of implantable devices. It also highlights the main characteristics of these implants and their potential clinical applications.