Drug-releasing Contact Lenses Deliver Medication More Effectively than Eyedrops

Newswise — New drug-releasing contact lenses ensure glaucoma patients and others get correct and consistent dosages of medication. This could be a significant improvement on the traditional eyedrops that ophthalmologists prescribe for these patients, from which the eye absorbs as little as 1% of the dose. These findings have been published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science ("A Drug-Eluting Contact Lens" ), a peer-reviewed journal from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

"Compliance is the biggest issue addressed here," said lead researcher Daniel Kohane, MD, PhD, from Boston's Children's Hospital. "People need to be able to properly and easily give themselves medication at home."

According to the study, several things occur that counteract the effectiveness of the medicine when traditional eye drops are used. Eyedrops are composed of an initial overdose that is followed by an extended period of underdose. Only a minimal amount of the dose is actually absorbed by the eye. The rest either runs down the sides of the patient's face, is washed away by reflex tearing or dispersed by blinking.

The prototype is like a jelly doughnut; the lens is the pastry outside and the polymer film is the gooey middle. By constantly "oozing out" medicine, the artificial lens is capable of delivering the proper dosage and increasing the effectiveness of treatment. This increase in effectiveness will be especially welcomed by glaucoma patients, who on average administer their drops accurately at rates between 41% and 76%.

Not only does the lens prototype replace the sudden splash of the eye drops with a mechanism that constantly delivers medication, but it may be fitted for any dosage of medicine and synced with a person's current contact lens prescription. "We expect this prototype to completely change the way people receive ocular medication," said Kohane. The researchers are taking next steps to begin FDA approval proceedings.

This research was supported by The National Institute of Health, Fight for Sight, the Johnson & Johnson Young Investigator Award, the Boston Keratoprosthesis Fund and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science is a peer-reviewed publication of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO).

ARVO is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include more than 12,600 eye and vision researchers from 81 countries. The Association encourages and assists research, training, publication and dissemination of knowledge in vision and ophthalmology. For more information, visit www.arvo.org.