Research in Ocular Pharmacology: An Indian Perspective in the Last Five Years

Abstract

Designing drugs specifically for eye with the considerations of their penetration characteristics is not a strategy followed currently. Often drugs approved for systemic disease have been extrapolated for ocular use without adequate ocular pharmacokinetic studies. Last five years, ocular pharmacology was of interest for many research groups in India. Fundamental problem resulted in the poor penetration of drugs into the eye was studied with reference to the drug transporter mechanisms in the cornea, blood aqueous and retinal barriers. Exploration of newer compounds/natural products have been extensively conducted against angiogenesis, diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, cataract etc. Newer drug targets have been explored for glaucoma, dry eye, retinopathy of prematurity, cataract etc. Newer experimental models have been developed for drugs affecting the visual perception and sex steroid deficient dry eye. Drug delivery systems, ocular pharmacokinetics in human and animal have also been studied by the investigators. This review summarizes the last five years of experimental/clinical research carried out in the field of Ocular Pharmacology in India which are available in standard data bases.