Beyond the injection: delivery systems reshaping retinal disease management.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Retinal Therapeutics
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Intravitreal injections are standard for retinal diseases (AMD, DME, diabetic retinopathy) but require frequent administration.
• Limited drug half-life and chronic disease nature create significant patient treatment burden.
• Emerging therapies aim to overcome these limitations through advanced drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review novel drug delivery techniques and therapies for retinal diseases.
• To cover FDA-approved or Phase 3-advanced treatments within the last five years.
• To discuss innovations including sustained-release platforms and alternative delivery routes.

Main Methods:

• Review of FDA-approved and Phase 3 clinical trial-stage retinal therapies.
• Analysis of emerging drug delivery platforms: intravitreal sustained-release, suprachoroidal, subretinal, topical, and subcutaneous routes.
• Discussion of specific innovative products and technologies.

Main Results:

• Several sustained-release intravitreal implants and alternative delivery systems show promise.
• Specific innovations include ranibizumab port delivery system, vorolanib implant, tarcocimab tedromer, and axitinib implant.
• Targeted delivery methods and novel formulations are advancing retinal disease treatment.

Conclusions:

• Sustained-release implants, topical/subcutaneous systems, and targeted injections offer advantages but have limitations.
• Overcoming the blood-retinal barrier and ensuring patient adherence are key challenges.
• Advances in smart delivery, formulations, and predictive models are crucial for personalized retinal therapies.