Drug discovery for ocular diseases has taken great strides in the last two decades. From cornea to choroid, new drugs have been formulated to address a great variety of ocular diseases. Yet without good drug delivery systems, these drugs are less effective than they might be or could even cause serious side effects. Ocular Drug Delivery Systems: Barriers and Application of Nanoparticulate Systems presents research on the development of currently marketed devices and recent trends in the topical delivery of drugs to the posterior of the eye.

With contributions from leading pharmaceutical researchers and industry experts, eye researchers, surgeons, pharmacologists from academia, the National Eye Institute, and leading ophthalmic companies such as Pfizer, Allergan, and Novartis, the book presents the state of the art in the use of nanoparticles in ocular drug delivery systems and also sets the stage for future developments.

This volume provides both a current evaluation and a future roadmap for developments in ocular drug delivery. The subjects range from biological needs to material challenges and finally to clinical applications for improving drug delivery for conditions where treatments already exist. It also explores areas where effective drugs may be currently available but yet need a safe, efficient, and efficacious delivery vehicle. Table of Contents

Basic Considerations
Nanoparticle-Based Therapeutics: An Overview
Deepak Thassu, Kris Holt, and Gerald J. Chader
Eye Anatomy, Physiology and Ocular Barriers: Basic Considerations for Drug Delivery
Gerald J. Chader and Deepak Thassu
Animal Models to Evaluate Ocular Nanoparticular Drug Delivery Systems
Vinson M. Wang, Jingsheng Tuo, and Chi-Chao Chan
Computer Modeling for Ocular Drug Delivery
Paul J. Missel
Challenges in the Development of Nanotechnology-Based Ophthalmic Systems
Banu S. Zolnik, Sheriza Baksh, and Nakissa Sadrieh

Ocular Barriers
Blood–Retinal Barrier: The Fundamentals
Rosa Fernandes, Andreia Gonçalves, and José Cunha-Vaz
Barriers to Transscleral Drug Delivery to the Retina
Alexandra Almazan, Susan S. Lee, Aron D. Ross, and Michael R. Robinson

Ocular Compartment Drug Delivery
Drug Delivery to the Vitreous Humor
Francine Behar-Cohen
Transscleral and Suprachoroidal Drug Delivery
Damian E. Berezovsky and Henry F. Edelhauser
Protein Drug Delivery to Retina and Choroid
Hongwen M. Rivers and Patrick M. Hughes
Transscleral Drug Delivery to the Posterior Segment of the Eye
Bernard F. Godley, Cheryl L. Rowe-Rendleman, Ed Kraft, and Gabriella Kulp
Drug Delivery to the Suprachoroidal Space
Sung Won Cho and Timothy W. Olsen
Use of Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, and Other Degenerative Retinal Diseases
Marco A. Zarbin, Carlo Montemagno, James F. Leary, and Robert Ritch

Drug Delivery Systems
Drug Molecule Characteristics, Drug Delivery Strategies and Their Impact on Ophthalmic Drug Delivery to Anterior versus Posterior Segments
Kay D. Rittenhouse
Surface Modulation of Nanoparticles
Deepak Thassu and Kris Holt
Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Retinal Diseases
Amin Famili and Uday B. Kompella
Gene-Based Medicine for Ocular Diseases
Shannon M. Conley and Muna I. Naash
Stealth-Type Polymeric Nanoparticles with Encapsulated Betamethasone Phosphate for Treatment of Intraocular Inflammation
Tsutomu Sakai, Tsutomu Ishihara, and Megumu Higaki

Technology and Materials Development
Nanotechnology-Guided Imaging of Retinal Vascular Disease
Joshua R. Trantum and Ashwath Jayagopal
Photoresponsive Polymers for Ocular Drug Delivery
Laura A. Wells and Heather Sheardown
Nanosuspensions in Ocular Drug Delivery Systems
Himanshu Bhattacharjee and Sonia Bedi