Innovations in fluid-gel eye drops for treating disease of the eye: prospects for enhancing drug retention and reducing corneal scarring

ABSTRACT Introduction Eye drops play a prominent role in the treatment and/or management of many ocular diseases, however, they often have limitations. It is recognized that new therapies are needed in this area, to improve patient care. Areas covered This manuscript discusses a novel class of materials, known as fluid gels, for their ability to improve ocular care. The paper focuses on how the materials address several key limitations to eye drops, such as longevity, lubrication, and delivery. Expert opinion Eye drops are a common source of treatment/management for many ocular diseases. However, lacking the complexity of the native tear, they often fail to hit the mark in terms of performance. In particular, the longevity of many drops and ocular lubricants is insufficient to keep active compounds in situ and/or offer adequate treatment. Fluid gels have high prospects in this area; as careful control over their microstructures provides a platform that can be applied to the ocular surface for in the order of hours. Not only can retention be finely tuned, but such materials also offer highly lubricating properties. Excitingly, promising pre-clinical data, coupled with the means to manufacture at scale, offers a tantalizing new prospect for the future of ocular treatments.