| Jan 10, 2014 |
A nanotechnology formulation for glaucoma
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(Nanowerk News) Researchers have developed a nanocarrier with the capability of sustained release for ocular indications. Specifically, the developed nanocarrier demonstrated sustained efficacy (IOP lowering up to 120 days with a single subconjunctival injection) and proved to be well tolerated in a diseased nonhuman primate model, making it a prime sustained-release nanomedicine candidate for glaucoma therapy. The reasons for both the sustained release and the stability of the latanoprost-loaded liposomes have been elucidated with binding studies and partitioning arguments.
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Writing in ACS Nano ("Sustained Drug Release in Nanomedicine: A Long-Acting Nanocarrier-Based Formulation for Glaucoma"), scientists from Singapore report on the sustained efficacy of action of this nanomedicine product in a diseased nonhuman primate model, as well as on mechanistic details of the stability and sustained release obtainable with this drugnanocarrier combination.
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| Schematic representation of a liposome with latanoprost incorporated in the bilayers. (© ACS)
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In particular, they ask the following questions:
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1. Is this drugliposome combination a very specific one, or can they be applied more generally to other nanocarrier and drug types?
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2. Why is this liposomal formulation stable against aggregation, and how is the sustained release achieved?
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3. Does the sustained in vitro release translate into sustained efficacy of action in vivo?
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In addition to the in vitro results, we also report on the results of a subconjunctival injection of this formulation in a diseased nonhuman primate model. The results clearly attest to sustained efficacy of lowering the intraocular pressure for 120 days and make this an excellent candidate to be the first truly sustainedrelease nanomedicine product.
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Similar concepts may be used to develop other suitable nanocarriers for sustained release.
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