Formulation and Development of Nanostructured Lipid Carrier for Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy leading to irreversible blindness if left untreated. Conventional therapies often suffer from low bioavailability and frequent dosing, limiting their efficacy. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), a second-generation lipid-based Nano system, offer promising solutions by enhancing drug stability, bioavailability, and sustained release. This review discusses the potential of NLCs for antiglaucoma drug delivery, covering formulation techniques, characterization methods, drug release mechanisms, and recent advances in preclinical and clinical research. Over ten lakh persons worldwide are afflicted with glaucoma each year. It can impair vision and occasionally result in total blindness. Since the conjunctiva, cornea, iris-ciliary body, and retina of the eye contain multiple barriers that prevent drug doses from reaching the site and result in limited drug bioavailability, drug administration through the ocular route has always been difficult. Conventional dosing forms of treatment frequently have the drawback of having a short drug retention period since the medicine exits the ocular cavity through tear production and nasal discharge. The creation of a novel medication delivery technology that would bypass the eye's barrier channels and perhaps improve drug absorption at the site is urgently needed to address these issues.