New treatments around the corner: Contact lenses delivering low dose atropine!
Atropine eye drops and myopia control contact lenses are widely used to slow myopia progression, and emerging research indicates the benefit of combining atropine with optical treatments. Atropine’s efficacy is limited by rapid ocular clearance, and previous studies have shown that drug-eluting lenses can sustain ocular drug delivery, potentially improving treatment outcomes. However, stabilizing atropine in a contact lens system remains a challenge.
The findings highlight both the promise and the challenges of delivering atropine via contact lenses for myopia control. While this approach aims to provide sustained drug release, improve patient adherence, and reduce systemic side effects compared to atropine eye drops, key limitations must be addressed before clinical application.
Potential benefits: The study confirms that atropine base can be successfully incorporated into contact lenses while maintaining lens clarity, water content, and comfort-related properties. A sustained-release mechanism could offer better compliance in children, minimizing the peaks and troughs of drug concentration seen with eye drops.
Dosing implications: The study suggests that contact lenses could achieve effective therapeutic doses comparable to 0.01% atropine eye drops, with potentially improved bioavailability and prolonged ocular surface exposure.
Critical safety concerns: The major limitation is the significant cytotoxicity observed in human corneal epithelial cells. The microemulsion formulation, rather than atropine itself, is likely responsible, necessitating reformulation to improve biocompatibility.
Clinical readiness: While the concept of atropine-releasing contact lenses is promising, they are not yet suitable for clinical use due to safety concerns. Future refinements in drug delivery methods and biocompatibility are essential before this technology can be integrated into myopia management.
Sourced from original article from Myopia Profile