Ophthalmic Drug Delivery

Delivery of therapeutics to the human eye is one of the most interesting, but challenging, endeavors a formulator can take on. The anatomy and chemical composition of the eye make it highly resistant to pharmaceutical penetration. Successfully circumventing these protective barriers requires a partner with intimate knowledge of ocular drug development as well as specialized formulation and manufacturing expertise.

LLS Health is well-equipped to meet your needs for ophthalmic formulation development, in both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. We provide pharmaceutical bioadhesive polymers ideal for overcoming the complex drug delivery challenges presented by the human eye.

Our Carbopol^®, Pemulen^™ and Noveon^® polymers are versatile and efficient in complex topical mucosal formulations. These monograph-compliant, mucoadhesive excipients are compatible with most active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and provide essential properties for effective ocular formulation development, including:

• Bioadhesion / Mucoadhesion – maximize drug absorption by prolonging contact time with the eye, which can increase bioavailability, reduce dosing frequency, and subsequently improve patient compliance
• Versatility – compatible with a wide variety of acidic, basic, and neutral APIs across a broad pH range while providing customizable rheology and viscosity for your product
• Emulsification – ability to suspend oils in solution and suitable salt tolerance, which are important qualities for many topical products such as eye drops
• Non-irritating and non-toxic – enhances patient comfort and safety

Our Pathway^™ thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) excipients are well suited for drug device combination products, including implants and punctal plugs. These products can have unique benefits such as localized therapeutic release and delivery to the posterior part of the eye, a common obstacle. Additionally, non-biodegradable polymers such as TPU have been shown to provide better control of drug release than their biodegradable counterparts and have the distinct advantage of functioning over longer time periods.