Formulation and development of ocuserts for quinolone antibiotics with corticosteroids

Abstract

Background: Ocular drug delivery is one of the most challenging and fascinating tasks faced by the Pharmaceutical Researchers. The challenges to the formulators are to circumvent the protective barriers of the eye without causing permanent tissue damage, maintain a stable therapeutic level at the site of action for a prolonged period of time. Eye drop is mostly used in the treatment of eye diseases but suffers the drawback of small fraction (typically 5 %) getting absorbed reaching the intraocular tissues. Frequent instillation to maintain a continuous sustained therapeutic level is required which often results in local or systemic side effects (1). newline newlineAim: Novel drug delivery systems are formulated to overcome these drawbacks associated with conventional dosage forms. In present study efforts will be made in formulating and characterizing ocusert with different combinations of Quinolone Antibiotics with selected anti-inflammatory agents for treatment of ocular conjunctivitis and will be compared for the sustained release of active. newline newlineMaterials and Methods: 1) Quinolone Antibiotics like Gemifloxacin, Moxifloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, etc. 2) Anti-inflammatory agents like Dexamethasone and Loteprednol Etabonate. 3) Polymer: HPMC, MC, Eudragit RS 100, Eudragit RL 100, or any other polymers and 4) Excipients: Cholesterol, Span 60, Tween 60, other available excipients will be procured from pharmaceutical companies as gift samples. Different combinations of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents will be prepared by Solvent Cast newline newlineMethod. In this method different ratios of drug and polymer (batches) will be prepared. The polymer will be dissolved in distilled water. A plasticizer will be added to this solution with continuous stirring followed by addition of weighed amount of drug to get a uniform dispersion. After proper mixing the casting solution will be poured in the clean glass petri dish and covered with an inverted funnel to allow slow and uniform evaporation at room temperature for 48 hours. The dried films will be