A Review on Ocular Novel Drug Delivery Systems of Antifungal Drugs: Functional Evaluation and Comparison of Conventional and Novel Dosage Forms

Abstract

Ocular fungal infections affect more than one million people annually worldwide. They can lead to impaired vision or even complete blindness, so they should be treated immediately to prevent such consequences. Although topical administration has always been the most common route of ocular drug delivery owing to high patient acceptance, reduced side effects, and the possibility of self-administration, its limited ocular bioavailability poses a major challenge. As a result, attention has recently been drawn to the design and development of novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) that can overcome the challenges of conventional dosage forms. This research is the first to review and classify the studies which have designed and developed topical ocular NDDS with the aim to compare the performance and antifungal activity of these novel systems with conventional forms. According to the results, all studies seemed to confirm the superiority of NDDS over conventional forms in cases of released and permeated drug and antifungal activity. The NDDS were used specifically to improve ocular delivery by slowing down the release rate, increasing drug permeation, and subsequently increasing the antifungal effects of the active pharmaceutical ingredients. Hence, further studies on NDDS may aid the optimization of ocular drug delivery of antifungal drugs.

Eudragit® L100/Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanoparticles Impregnated Mucoadhesive Films as Ocular Inserts for Controlled Delivery of Erythromycin: Development, Characterization and In Vivo Evaluation

“…It has been shown that NDDSs may enhance the water-solubility of lipophilic drugs and prolong the amount of their time on the ocular surface by virtue of their mucoadhesive nature and ability to promote sustained drug release [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy and benefits of these systems for ocular delivery of antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory agents [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

Preparation of Azithromycin Nanofibers as Controlled Release Ophthalmic Drug Carriers Using Electrospinning Technique: In-Vitro and in-Vivo Characterization

“…12 These systems have many advantages like high surface-area-to-volume ratio and high porosity; leading to high ability of the nanofibers to increase solubility, helping the controlled release of drug, and increasing intraocular bioavailability of drugs. 13,14 Based on the previous studies, the cornea and conjunctiva have a negatively charged structure. Hence, positively charged mucoadhesive polymeric carriers interacting with the cornea and conjunctiva could increase contact time and consequently, concentration of drugs in the cornea.…”

“… 12 These systems have many advantages like high surface-area-to-volume ratio and high porosity; leading to high ability of the nanofibers to increase solubility, helping the controlled release of drug, and increasing intraocular bioavailability of drugs. 13 , 14 …”

Development of Chitosan–Tripolyphosphate Nanoparticles as Glycopeptide Antibiotic Reservoirs and Ex vivo Evaluation for Their Potential to Enhance the Corneal Permeation in Ocular Drug Delivery

“…have been designed and developed mostly utilizing nanotechnology to improve the ocular delivery of various drugs. [6][7][8][9] Corneal permeability is an effective factor in the determination of the therapeutic efficacy of topical preparations. Many drugs need to pass through the cornea to arrive at their site of action for a therapeutical effect.…”