The blindness causing disease could be treated by drug-dispensing contact lenses, according to a new study.
Researchers say that a contact lens designed to deliver medication gradually to the eye may improve the chances of combating glaucoma.
At the moment, patients often struggle with imprecise, difficult to self-administer eye drops.
It is estimated that more than 500,000 people in England and Wales have glaucoma, but many more may not know they have the condition.
In a study published online by the journal Ophthalmology, researchers have shown that a new contact lens-based system, which uses a strategically placed drug polymer film to deliver medication gradually to the eye, could be effective.
Doctor Joseph Ciolino, an ophthalmologist at Harvard Medical School in the US, said: “We found that a lower-dose contact lens delivered the same amount of pressure reduction...
“Based on our preliminary data, the lenses have not only the potential to improve compliance for patients, but also the potential of providing better pressure reduction than the drops.”
Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world. While there is no cure for the condition, medications are designed to lower pressure in the eye with the goal of preventing vision loss.
Currently, the medications are delivered as eye drops, which sometimes cause stinging and burning, and can be difficult to self-administer.
Doctor Janet Serle, a glaucoma specialist in the US, said: “This promising delivery system removes the burden of administration from the patient and ensures consistent delivery of medication to the eye, eliminating the ongoing concern of patient compliance with dosing.”
Contact lenses have been studied as a means of drug delivery for nearly 50 years, yet many such lenses are ineffective because they dispense the drug too quickly.
The researchers behind the new study designed the contact lens to allow for a more controlled drug release.
They had previously shown in a 2014 study that the lens is capable of delivering medication continuously for one month.
The researchers designed a novel contact lens that contains a thin film of drug-encapsulated polymers in the periphery.
The drug-polymer film slows the drug coming out of the lens.
The researchers are currently designing clinical trials to determine the safety and efficiency of the lenses in humans.
Dr Ciolino said: “If we can address the problem of compliance, we may help patients adhere to the therapy necessary to maintain vision in diseases like glaucoma, saving millions from preventable blindness.
“This study also raises the possibility that we may have an option for glaucoma that’s more effective than what we have today.”
This could be leading research for glaucoma treatment or even glaucoma symptoms.
0 comments: