Prospects for the use of contact lenses in pharmacotherapy of eye diseases (review). Part II. Advanced technologies in production of therapeutic drug-loaded contact lenses

The review is focused on advanced technologies in production of therapeutic drug-loaded contact lenses (CLs). Actually, numerous already designed methods to produce a drug-loaded CL are developing. In particular, they are oriented to improve controlled delivery and to prolong elimination of a drug substance from the CLs. These techniques include molecular imprinting, various systems containing polymer nanoparticles, microemulsions, micelles, and liposomes, as well as application of vitamin E and supercritical fluid technology. In that respect, numerous study data demonstrate far-reaching application of drug-loaded CLs to treat eye diseases. Owing to the CLs, antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids, antiglaucomatous and antiviral drugs, hyaluronic acid, and atropine are delivered to an eye. At the same time, the drug retention time in tear film, release time and time of gradual drug penetration into an eye (up to several months as per the treatment schedule) increases significantly (tenfold). However, despite achievements of advanced technologies to manufacture therapeutic drug-loaded CLs, there are a number of issues associated with the mentioned innovations. For example, they include changes in characteristics (namely, mechanical properties, moisture content, transparency, and oxygen permeability) of the CL polymer. At the moment, these changes limit application of medical lenses produced with advanced technologies in clinical practice. Therefore, both improvement of a CL material itself and technical matters (in particular, to preserve properties of a drug substance in a CL) are on the front burner. KEYWORDS: drug-loaded contact lenses, controlled delivery, prolonged elimination of a drug substance, advanced technologies, molecular imprinting, polymer particles, supercritical fluid technology. FOR CITATION: Egorov E.A., Romanova T.B., Rybakova E.G. Prospects for the use of contact lenses in pharmacotherapy of eye diseases (review). Part II. Advanced technologies in production of therapeutic drug-loaded contact lenses. Russian Journal of Clinical Ophthalmology. 2025;25(2):117–123 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2311-7729-2025-25-2-6