A Physiology-Based Mathematical Model to Understand Drug Delivery from Contact Lenses to the Back of the Eye

Therapeutic contact lenses, able to store drug and deliver it to the eye surface in a sustained fashion, gained interest as an effective and patient-friendly alternative to eye drops. Recent animal studies also demonstrated the presence of therapeutic drug levels in the back of the eye after wearing drug-loaded contact lenses, thus opening the possibility of treating the posterior segment without need of invasive intraocular injections. The drug pathways from contact lenses to the back of the eye require further investigation.

A mechanistic mathematical model was developed to evaluate the drug concentration over time in the tears, sclera and choroid, retina, aqueous humor and vitreous humor after the application of a therapeutic contact lens. The main drug transport mechanisms of the eye and the barrier properties of the different tissues were included in the model. Validation was performed by comparison with experimental data in literature.

The model predictions of drug concentration over time reflected the experimental data both in the anterior and posterior segment of the eye. The model can differentiate between contributions to transport from different pathways.

The model constitutes a first step towards the possibility of predicting the ocular drug distribution and the treatment efficacy in the early stage of contact lens development, and it may help reduce both the need for in vivo tests (with ethical and economic advantages) and the gap between the lens design and clinical application. It also allows for an improved understanding of drug transport in the eye.