TY - JOUR T1 - Ocular Drug Delivery: Present Innovations and Future Challenges. JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther DO - 10.1124/jpet.119.256933 SP - jpet.119.256933 AU - Vrinda Gote AU - Sadia Sikder AU - Jeff Sicotte AU - Dhananjay Pal Y1 - 2019/01/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2019/05/09/jpet.119.256933.abstract N2 - Ocular drug delivery has always been a challenge for ophthalmologist and drug delivery scientists due to presence of various anatomical and physiological barriers. Inimitable static and dynamic ocular barriers not only exclude the entry of xenobiotics but also discourage the active absorption of therapeutic agents. An ideal drug delivery system should be designed to enhance drug bioavailability, provide controlled and sustained release of drug at site of action and overcome various ocular barriers. Conventional ophthalmic medications includes the use of topical eye drops and intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF agent for treatment of anterior and posterior segment disorders respectively. Current inventions for the anterior ocular segment disorders like punctum plugs, ocular implants, drug eluting contact lenses, and ocular iontophoresis represent state of the art inventions for sustained and controlled drug release. Parallel efforts for ocular drug delivery technologies for back of the eye disorders have resulted in the approval of various intravitreal implants. Novel drug delivery technologies including nanoparticles, nanomicelles, dendrimers, microneedles, liposomes and nanowafers are increasingly studied for anterior and posterior disorders. To achieve patient compliance for back of the eye disorders, novel approaches for noninvasive delivery of potent therapeutic agents are on a rise. In this review article we discuss the past successes, present inventions and future challenges in ocular drug delivery technologies. This expert opinion also discusses the future challenges for ocular drug delivery systems and the clinical translatable potential of nanotechnology from benchtop to the bedside.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT N/A ER -