# OCULAR DRUG DELIVERY NANOWAFER THERAPEUTIC TO TREAT CORNEAL NEOVASCULARIZATION

> **NIH NIH R01** · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · 2020 · $394,538

## Abstract

Project Summary
 Eye injuries are one of the major causes of blindness worldwide, and in the United States
alone 2.5 million eye injuries occur every year. Ocular surface injuries disrupt corneal
angiogenic privilege and trigger corneal neovascularization (CNV), eventually leading to loss of
vision. Ocular drug delivery, although it may seem to be deceptively simple, is a challenging
task mainly because of the unique barriers associated with the ocular surface that impede
adequate drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy. Topical drug therapy with eye drop
formulations is the most accessible and noninvasive. However, its potential is limited by the
ocular surface protective barriers, such as reflex tearing, constant blinking, impervious nature of
the ocular surface due to epithelial tight junctions, and nasolacrimal drainage that can rapidly
clear the eye drops from the ocular surface within a few minutes. These physiological barriers
contribute to inadequate drug delivery and reduced bioavailability of the drug to the eye. Hence,
topical eye drops must be applied several times a day, thus increasing the potential for toxic
side effects such as cellular damage, inflammation of the ocular surface, and temporary blurred
vision, leading to discomfort and poor patient compliance.
 This research endeavor focuses on the development of an ocular drug delivery nanowafer
with controlled drug release attributes. The nanowafer can be simply applied on the cornea with
a fingertip, like a contact lens. The nanowafer can deliver the drug in a controlled release
fashion for several weeks, thus increasing the drug residence time on the ocular surface,
improving therapeutic efficacy, and treatment compliance. The nanowafer will be fabricated
using mucoadhesive polymers, so that it can readily adhere to the ocular surface and withstand
constant blinking. The nanowafer is highly transparent and will have negligible effect on normal
vision. During the course of the drug release, the nanowafer slowly dissolves and fades away,
i.e., self-clearing. The three specific aims of this project are: (1) Nanowafer fabrication and
optimization of total drug content and drug stability; (2) Optimization of in vivo pharmacokinetics
and maximum tolerated drug dose; and (3) Evaluation of nanowafer efficacy on inhibition of
corneal neovascularization. Successful completion of this research endeavor will result in an
ocular drug delivery nanowafer that can release the drug for several weeks. The nanowafer can
enhance the therapeutic efficacy, minimize drug related side effects and improve patient
compliance. Since, the polymers and drugs used in the nanowafer fabrication are already in
clinical use, the nanowafer can be rapidly translated to the clinic for treating CNV. Furthermore,
the nanowafer drug delivery system developed for treating CNV can find potential applications
in treating other eye diseases, such as sight-threatening injuries, corneal inflammation, ocular
surface infectio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9954081
- **Project number:** 5R01EY026950-04
- **Recipient organization:** BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Ghanashyam S Acharya
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $394,538
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-06-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9954081

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9954081, OCULAR DRUG DELIVERY NANOWAFER THERAPEUTIC TO TREAT CORNEAL NEOVASCULARIZATION (5R01EY026950-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9954081. Licensed CC0.

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