UK researchers have developed a method of administering drugs such as Avastin or Lucentis with eye drops.
The research, conducted at University College of London on animal models, shows that it is possible to create formulations of tiny nanoparticles loaded with the AMD drug Avastin and deliver significant concentrations to the back of the eye.
Injecting drugs into the eye is uncomfortable, and patients hate it. They often have to go to the hospital to receive the injections every month for two years, says researcher Francesca Cordeiro. It is impossible to exaggerate the relief patients would feel at not having to experience injections into their eyes.
Transporting drugs like Avastin or Lucentis into the back of the eye using eye drops was thought to be nearly impossible, due to the size of the molecules, which do not cross the eye's anatomical barriers.
All the components we used are safe and well-established in the field, meaning we could potentially move quite quickly to get the technology into trials in patients but the timescales are dependent on funding.
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