Glaucoma affects millions of patients every year leading to severe pain and potential blindness. Current treatments consist of topical eye-drops that lead to reduced intra-ocular pressure, such as the beta-blocker timolol. Due to the poor bioavailability of traditional timolol eye-drops, a repeated and frequent dosing schedule leads to issues with patient compliance. In addition to low patient compliance, the rate of corneal penetration in direct dosing is relatively low and can be improved upon.

The technology

This invention consists of attaching the beta-blocker timolol to a nanoparticle vehicle as a novel glaucoma therapy. The nanoparticles allow for enhanced transportation across the mucus membrane, and a steady sustained release of medication to the inner eye. This invention could lead to a stronger release profile over time, allowing for a reduced dependency on patient compliance when treating glaucoma. In addition, increased corneal permeation could lead to high efficiencies and lower dosages. The figure below depicts the change in intraocular pressure in rats when administered using the delivery mechanism versus standard delivery.

This invention has been prototyped, and has been tested in vivo