Ocular Therapeutix’s proprietary hydrogel technology uses polyethylene glycol (PEG) to create innovative ophthalmic sustained drug delivery systems and medical devices.
Sustained Drug Delivery
Ocular Therapeutix is able to encapsulate ophthalmic pharmaceuticals within its hydrogel to deliver sustained and therapeutic levels of drugs to targeted ocular tissues. The microparticles can be tailored to provide the desired duration of therapy (from days to months), and are compatible with a wide range of ophthalmic medications including prostaglandin analogs, corticosteroids, anti-infectives, NSAIDs, and anti-allergy medications. The hydrogel provides containment, localization, and protection from inflammatory response, providing an ideal material for sustained delivery of drugs to the eye. These depots can be inserted non-invasively through the punctum for shorter therapies, or injected intraocularly for long-term therapies.
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Sustained drug delivery depots provide more consistent dosing therapy than topical eye drops by avoiding the large variances in drug concentration (see figure below).
Additional benefits of sustained ocular drug delivery over topical dosing methods include:
- Improved patient compliance
- Reduced number of dose administrations
- Localized delivery – targeted concentrations to the desired site
- Reduced side effects associated with high drug concentrations found in topical drops (e.g. stinging and burning)
- Potential for improved outcomes and quality of life for patients
Hydrogel Sealants
Ocular Therapeutix’s investigational medical device, ReSure® Sealant, is a two-part synthetic liquid system that is mixed just prior to application, whereupon the material “crosslinks” to form a hydrogel that is soft, lubricious and flexible. The hydrogel contains linkages which gradually hydrolyze in the presence of water at a predetermined rate, gradually sloughing off in the patient’s tears.
Biocompatibility
Due primarily to their high water content, hydrogels resemble natural living tissue more than any other type of synthetic biomaterial. PEG-based materials are used in a broad number of medical products including artificial tears, prescription drugs, medical implants, and drug delivery depots. As a result, these materials have undergone extensive biocompatibility and safety testing and enjoy broad market acceptance. Additionally, their synthetic nature eliminates the risks or complications associated with medical technologies based on biological components.
Intellectual Property
Ocular Therapeutix’s hydrogel technology is protected by several issued and pending US patents including but not limited to:
US 7,648,713 US 6,887,974 US 7,413,752
US 6,566,406 US 6,632,457 US 6,605,294
US 6,887,974 US 6,566,406 US 6,632,457