Transscleral drug delivery for posterior segment disease

Exciting new treatments are being developed for retinal degenerations and p osterior segment eye disease. The successful treatment of these visually de vastating diseases will likely require delivering effective doses of pharma cologic agents to the posterior segment, possibly in conjunction with surgi cal or genetic interventions. Currently, the treatment of diseases affectin g the posterior segment is limited by the difficulty in delivering effectiv e doses of drugs to target tissues in the posterior vitreous, retina or cho roid. This review summarizes recent laboratory and clinical studies that in dicate that transscleral delivery of therapeutic solutes might be an effect ive means of achieving therapeutic concentrations of these agents in the po sterior eye. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B V All rights reserved.