Therapeutic contact lenses: a patent review

Abstract

Introduction: Ophthalmic drugs are almost exclusively delivered via eye drops in spite of several deficiencies, including low bioavailability and poor compliance. Contact lenses have the potential to increase bioavailability by an order of magnitude, while also improving compliance.

Areas covered: In this review, the authors summarize advances in therapeutic contact lenses. The major focus of the review is on patents on drug-eluting contact lenses, but non-drug-eluting contacts that offer a therapeutic benefit are also included. The content is divided based on the broad technology of the patent, including novel materials, molecular imprinting, diffusion barriers, colloid encapsulation, surface modification, layering, and other novel approaches. In addition to patents, research publications are also included to facilitate the understanding of the mechanisms and challenges.

Expert opinion: Among all non-invasive alternatives, contact lenses offer the highest bioavailability to the cornea due to the location of the lens in the immediate vicinity of the cornea. Several approaches have been patented to improve contact lens design for an extended release duration of drugs. Many technologies have successfully integrated suitable drug release profiles into contact lenses, but drug-eluting contacts are not yet commercialized likely due to regulatory challenges, including the high costs of clinical trials.

Keywords:

• contact lens
• drug delivery
• imprinted lens
• layered lens
• nanoparticles
• vitamin E

Acknowledgments

This research was partially supported by the University of Florida Graduate School Fellowship and the National Science Foundation (CMMI Grant 1129932). P Dixon and C Shafor contributed equally to the production of this manuscript.

Declaration of interest

P Dixon, C Shafor, S Gause, KH Hsu and KC Powell are funded by the University of Florida Graduate Student Fellowship. A Chauhan has patent applications on topics discussed in this manuscript. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

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