Recent advances and future prospects: Current status and challenges of the intraocular injection of drugs for vitreoretinal diseases

Abstract

Effective drug therapy for vitreoretinal disease is a major challenge in the field of ophthalmology; various protective systems, including anatomical and physiological barriers, complicate drug delivery to precise targets. However, as the eye is a closed cavity, it is an ideal target for local administration. Various types of drug delivery systems have been investigated that take advantage of this aspect of the eye, enhancing ocular permeability and optimizing local drug concentrations. Many drugs, mainly anti-VEGF drugs, have been evaluated in clinical trials and have provided clinical benefit to many patients. In the near future, innovative drug delivery systems will be developed to avoid frequent intravitreal administration of drugs and maintain effective drug concentrations for a long period of time. Here, we review the published literature on various drugs and administration routes and current clinical applications. Recent advances in drug delivery systems are discussed along with future prospects.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03207815 NCT03711929.

Keywords: Age-related macular degeneration; Blood retinal barrier; Clinical trial; Diabetic retinopathy; Drug delivery; Retina; Retinal vein occlusion; Retinitis pigmentosa; Vitreoretinal disease; Vitreous.