Considering that cases of glaucoma are estimated to increase in the coming years, it is important to tackle the challenges of drug delivery to the eye, as it is a complex organ that is difficult to

access both topically and systemically. The fact is that most sellckchem patients and clinicians will prefer less invasive methods of securing implantable delivery systems in the eye. We strongly believe that there are many factors to consider such as (i) placement of implants should be convenient and ensure less frequent drug administration; (ii) patients should be able Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical tolerate implant placement; (iii) biomaterials used in implant preparation Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical as well as byproducts from possible implant degradation should be safe, biocompatible, and easily eliminated; (iv) ocular drug release from implant should be http://www.selleckchem.com/products/Romidepsin-FK228.html predictable while avoiding the dangers of burst drug releases and dose dumping; and (v) implantable delivery systems should not compound patients medical conditions through elevation of IOP, interference with vision, and triggering inflammatory Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical responses. We considered that a worthwhile approach of addressing these issues with predictable drug release profiles from implantable delivery systems might

involve the application of stimuli-responsive (smart) strategies. Ocular implants that employ smart delivery

systems can Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical potentially offer great benefits over traditional systems since release of therapeutic agents can be controlled based on disease-specific (proximal) or nondisease-specific (external) stimuli [90]. It is envisaged that current advancement in the area of stimuli responsive polymers can open up new avenues for the development of novel implantable delivery systems and formulations for the treatment of glaucoma with clear and compelling long-term benefits. 4. Conclusion Glaucoma is a group of multifactorial neurodegenerative diseases that collectively are the leading cause of irreversible Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical blindness worldwide. The incidence is expected to increase remarkably in the next decade based on estimated growing aging population. Development of effective sustained intraocular drug delivery systems is a major unmet need in glaucoma Anacetrapib management. The paper critically evaluated the rationale for implantable delivery systems as strategies of relieving the burden of protracted drug administration while maintaining high intraocular drug bioavailability. Major challenges of glaucoma-focused implantable ocular drug delivery were discussed while offering possible strategies on achieving and sustaining (i) therapeutic efficacy, (ii) desired therapeutic outcomes, and (iii) patient adherence and acceptance.