Juxtascleral Drug Delivery and Ocular Implant System

Abstract

Ophthalmic drug delivery devices useful for delivery of pharmaceutically active agents to the posterior segment of the eye are disclosed.

Description

[0001]This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 60 / 953,054 filed Jul. 31, 2007.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally pertains to instruments for localized delivery of pharmaceutically active agents to body tissue. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, the present invention pertains to instruments for localized delivery of pharmaceutically active agents to the posterior segment of the eye.DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART[0003]Several diseases and conditions of the posterior segment of the eye threaten vision. Age related macular degeneration (ARMD), choroidal neovascularization (CNV), retinopathies (e.g., diabetic retinopathy, vitreoretinopathy), retinitis (e.g., cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis), uveitis, macular edema, glaucoma, and neuropathies are several examples.[0004]Age related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly. ARMD attacks the center of vision and blurs it, making read...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In one aspect, the present invention is an ophthalmic drug delivery device having an injector housing, a capsule containing a pharmaceutically agent disposed within the injector housing, a delivery cannula coupled to a distal surface of the injector housing, an injector cannula slidably disposed within the delivery cannula and the injector housing, an extension assembly for extending the injector cannula from the delivery cannula, and a compression assembly. The injector cannula has a first tip for penetrating the capsule, and a second tip for dispensing the pharmaceutically active agent. The compression assembly compresses the capsule and allows delivery of the pharmaceutically active agent.

Problems solved by technology

ARMD attacks the center of vision and blurs it, making reading, driving, and other detailed tasks difficult or impossible.

In wet ARMD, newly formed choroidal blood vessels (choroidal neovascularization (CNV)) leak fluid and cause progressive damage to the retina.

However, photocoagulation can be harmful to the retina and is impractical when the CNV is near the fovea.

Furthermore, over time, photocoagulation often results in recurrent CNV.

However, due to drug-specific metabolic restrictions, systemic administration usually provides sub-therapeutic drug levels to the eye.

Therefore, to achieve effective intraocular drug concentrations, either an unacceptably high dose or repetitive conventional doses are required.

Periocular injections of these compounds often result in the drug being quickly washed out and depleted from the eye, via periocular vasculature and soft tissue, into the general circulation.

Repetitive intraocular injections may result in severe, often blinding, complications such as retinal detachment and endophthalmitis.

Consequently, these requirements generally increase the complexity and cost of such implants.

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