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Iontophoresis moves further into clinical trials for the treatment of several eye diseases
 John Sheppard |
ABU DHABI — Iontophoresis with the EyeGate II system from EyeGate Pharmaceuticals is proving safe and effective as a method of drug delivery into the eye, ensuring deeper penetration and longer duration without any side effects, according to one speaker here.
"The biggest problems in ocular pharmacology involve patient compliance and creating an adequate dose at the target tissue. This new method has the potential to solve both these problems," John Sheppard, MD, said at the World Ophthalmology Congress.
Iontophoresis has the potential to treat several eye diseases, overcoming the limitations of topical administration and the drawbacks of more invasive methods, such as intravitreal injections.
"In phase 3 clinical trials, we have successfully identified dexamethasone as a charged molecule that can be delivered with only one or two doses in adequate concentrations to the target tissue. A single or dual application produced the desired clinical effect without any significant side effect," Dr. Sheppard said.
The most imminent indications are likely to be acute noninfectious anterior uveitis, which is currently undergoing a phase 3 trial; dry eye or ocular surface inflammation, which has finished a phase 3 trial; and cataract surgery.
"There is also a potential to treat posterior segment diseases, such as macular degeneration, both wet and dry. The same technology can be used for a neuroprotective approach to glaucoma. Also, nanoparticles with ocular hypotensive agents can be delivered in a sustained-release strategy into the conjunctival tissue to theoretically produce a once-monthly treatment for glaucoma," Dr. Sheppard said.
- Disclosure: Dr. Sheppard is a consultant for EyeGate Pharmaceuticals.