ABSTRACT
Opthalmic drug delivery is one of the most interesting and challenging endeavors facing the pharmaceutical scientist. The anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of the eye render this organ highly impervious to foreign substances. A significant challenge to the formulator is to circumvent the protective barriers of the eye without causing permanent tissue damage. Development of newer, more sensitive diagnostic techniques and novel therapeutic agents continue to provide ocular delivery systems with high therapeutic efficacy. Potent immunosuppressant therapy in transplant patients and the developing epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have generated an entirely new population of patients suffering virulent uveitis and retinopathies. Conventional ophthalmic solution, suspension, and ointment dosage forms no longer constitute optimal therapy for these indications. Research and development efforts to design better therapeutic systems particularly targeted to posterior segment are the primary focus of this text.
