ABSTRACT

This chapter reviews the various nanotechnology formulation approaches to ocular drug delivery and outlines their benefits, as well as limitations. It also outlines the advances of pharmaceutical nanotechnology in ocular drug delivery by reviewing all categories of nanosystems that have been formulated and studied for the enhancement of ocular drug bioavailability. Polymeric nanocapsules are small sized vesicular drug delivery systems that have been studied for both topical and systemic drug delivery. Their structure is characterized by a central core enclosed in a polymeric film. Polymeric nanoparticles have been utilized in an increasing number of fields. Nanotechnology offers a modern arsenal of well-defined nanostructured drug carriers that can be employed for targeted drug delivery to the eye, which constitutes one of the major challenges of current scientific research. The complex nature of the eye challenges scientists to continue their research for an ideal ocular drug delivery system.