Great step forward in nanomedicine

Sunday, June 22 2014 | 00 h 00 min | News

A team of researchers from Singapore has developed a nanomedical treatment for glaucoma which is intended to replace eye drops.

This new approach was jointly developed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI). Applied directly to the eye through a painless injection, the new treatment ensures the delivery of latanoprost for six months.

The delivery system is made up of millions of nano-sized capsules, which are thousands of times smaller than a speck of dust and release their contents slowly over time. The researchers believe that older people, who often forget to administer their eye drops daily, will benefit from this new approach.

“It is estimated that at least ten per cent of blindness from glaucoma is directly caused by poor patient adherence to their prescribed medications,” said professorTina Wong, from the SERI. “Many patients find it difficult to adhere to their doctor’s prescribed regime for many reasons, such as forgetfulness, finding it too troublesome, or they lack understanding of the disease. The results in this clinical study will open up a new treatment modality for glaucoma other than taking daily eye drops, and will greatly enhance patient compliance and improve treatment outcomes.”

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