SPYGLASS DRUG DELIVERY PLATFORM

 

A new drug delivery platform for anti-glaucoma medication has been developed by Dr. Malik Y. Kahook, professor of ophthalmology and the Slater Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA.

Known as the SpyGlass Drug Delivery Platform, it is implanted with the SpyGlass intra-ocular lens (IOL) into the capsular bag via standard cataract surgical technique.

The SpyGlass drug delivery platform consists of a single-piece, hydrophobic acrylic IOL and two drug eluting pads that slide over each haptic and securely attach at the haptic junction. With the drug pads securely attached, the IOL and pads are loaded into a standard IOL injector. The lens is advanced and injected through a sub 2.4 mm incision and implanted directly into the capsular bag.

The drug pads remain outside the visual axis and continuously elute directly into the aqueous humor, which carries the active drug to targeted tissues.

The pads elute Bimatoprost for three years into the eye, providing sustained delivery of the drug for effective glaucoma management.

Pre-clinical testing found compelling IOP lowering in normotensive beagles with 3 doses compared to 0.03% topical bimatoprost. In NZW rabbits there was no detectable systemic exposure and no drug related adverse events even at 10x the maximum dose up to 9 months.

A prospective study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the sustained release bimatoprost implant with SpyGlass IOL in patients with ocular hypertension or mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma. The results of the study at 3 months reported 45% mean IOP reduction across all doses and all patients became off topical IOP-lowering therapy.