ineye® technology
How it works
ineye® is a unique mixture of drugs and polymers, designed in such a way that the release of the different drugs can be finely tuned according to the different diseases/treatments, by simply adjusting its structure and composition.
When placed in the eye, beneath the eyelid, ineye® starts to interact with the lacrimal film, releasing the drug(s). The insert stays in place, without causing any irritation or itching, and, since it is not biodegradable, it is easily removed after the drugs have been totally released. For those patients suffering from chronic eye diseases, a new insert must replace the “empty” one.
ineye® versus eye drops
Eye drops were first used to treat ocular diseases in the ancient Egypt. Since then, many eye drops have been available, and some improvements were made in the formulations to improve drug residence time and stability of the solution. Nevertheless, the changes in pharmacodynamics were not significant, and 2 minutes after instillation of an eye drop, two-thirds of the administered drug are lost. Therefore, the use of eye drops follows a pulsatile pattern, with a high quantity of drug available in the first minutes after instillation, followed by an extended period (normally 24 hours) of under dosing. Additionally, the treatment using eye drops is not often complied. Three main reasons explain this lack of compliance – forgetfulness, running out of the product or incorrect administration.
With ineye® the desired concentration is kept for longer periods of time (months, for chronic diseases) without any fluctuations. Being a solid device, the drug inside ineye® is not eliminated by the lacrimal drainage system.
The products
ineye® is being developed for three different ocular applications:
Dry eye
What is it?
Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability with potential damage to the ocular surface – International Dry Eye Workshops, 2007.
Throughout the world, one out of ten individuals suffer from this disease, which affect mainly women and elderly population.
Most of the patients suffer from low severity case of dry eye caused by environmental issues, stress, hormonal changes or aging. These individuals have mild symptoms like blurring, stinging, itching and burning, which are overcome with the instillation of artificial tears. In severe cases, constant instillation of artificial tears is needed, affecting the patients’ daily routines and ultimately their quality of life.
INEYE PHARMA is developing a special ineye® formulation, that will retain moisture within the eye and lubricate the eyelids and ocular surface, reducing the symptoms of dry eye for a period of two weeks with a single application.
Glaucoma
What is it?
Glaucoma is an asymptomatic chronic disease causing the degeneration of the optic nerve and is normally characterized by a high intraocular pressure (IOP). If not treated or the IOP controlled, the effects on the optic nerve are irreversible. Globally, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, with a prevalence of 3.5% for population aged 40-80 years, and in 2020 more than 80 million people will suffer from glaucoma.
Throughout the world, one out of ten individuals suffer from this disease, which affect mainly women and elderly population.
Nowadays, glaucoma treatment is done by controlling the IOP with drugs, performing a surgical procedure or using laser. Different drugs, with different therapeutic pathways, have been administered in combination, mainly through daily doses of two or more eye drops.
At our R&D laboratories we have demonstrated that a single ineye® delivers drugs at a constant rate for more than 6 months. And we are now developing an ineye® containing timolol and dorzolamide, a standard combination for IOP control, in order to improve compliance and efficacy when compared to the eye drops therapy.
Cataract surgery
What is it?
Cataract surgery is the most common ocular surgery, involving the removal of the eye lens when becomes opaque, replacing it by an artificial intraocular lens.
The World Health Organisation estimates that by 2020, 32 million cataract surgeries will be performed. These numbers will continue to grow as life expectancy is increasing, with older people staying active and demanding better quality of life, including healthy eyes.
The major complications of cataract surgery are endophthalmitis – an intraocular infection – and cystoid macular edema – a dangerous inflammatory process in the retina.
As a standard preventive measure, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotic are administered during the weeks following a cataract surgery. This administration is made by the application of eye drops (from two or more bottles), in a complex cadence that is hardly fulfilled by the patients.
For a successful prophylactic administration of the drugs, we developed an ineye® that simultaneously releases flurbiprofen – a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug – and moxifloxacin – a fluoroquinolone class antibiotic – at distinct rates in accordance to the standard eye drops dosing.
