A biodegradable implant can be used to treat glaucoma, which is placed in the eye and slowly releases a drug that lowers the intraocular pressure. Ilmira Gazizova, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Institute of Human Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, says that this approach is more suitable for conservative treatment than the use of regular drops. The Glaucoma Society told socialbites.ca.
“Perhaps the newest method can be considered the insertion of a biodegradable implant that releases the drug for a certain period of time. For the treatment of glaucoma it is important for the patient to use the drops regularly, but in practice people often violate the regimen. The implant works similarly to an insulin pump – the eye “It ensures that the drug is fed evenly when the intraocular pressure rises. So the patient does not have to drip anything – he lives quietly and the implant helps to control the intraocular pressure. For minimally invasive treatment, this is the most promising method,” he explained.
A small implant is placed under the conjunctiva or inside the eye cavity. As it dissolves over time, it needs to be replaced periodically.
“The first stages of clinical trials are currently being carried out abroad. But at least I personally have already seen such an implant in a patient. It was an implant containing brimonidine and indeed it helped to control the intraocular pressure quite well,” Gazizova added.
For more information about why glaucoma causes vision loss and how it can slow the progress of treatment, see: material “socialbites.ca”.