Specialty Drug Delivery Firm Integral BioSystems LLC Receives Phase I SBIR Grant to Develop its Novel Ophthalmic Sustained Release Glaucoma Formulation

BEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Integral BioSystems LLC has just received a Phase I SBIR research grant for the development of a bio-engineered, preservative free and biocompatible sustained-release treatment for glaucoma, EySite-NanoM™ (Patent Pending).

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Currently, most ophthalmic drugs are administered in the form of eye-drops.  With a single eye-drop, only about 5% of the drug administered is absorbed by ocular tissue, and the rest is lost through naso-lacrimal drainage.  Additionally, fast drainage of eye-drop formulations from the ocular space makes frequent administration regimens necessary.  This leads to patient incompliance due to inconvenience, leading to a lower therapeutic value of the treatment.

Most commercial formulations for glaucoma treatment contain a commonly used preservative, benzalkonium chloride, which has been correlated with ocular toxicity in both in-vivo and in-vitro studies, including corneal neurotoxicity.  Chronic use of a preservative has been correlated with inflammation of ocular tissues. Thus, EySite-NanoM™ leads the way to preservative-free strategies for glaucoma treatment in future therapeutic regimens.

EySite-NanoM™ is a sustained-release delivery system designed to provide continuous release of its therapeutic anti-glaucoma agent to avoid the peak and trough drug levels that occur with topical dosing. It can be fairly said that EySite-NanoM™ utilizes a sustained release delivery systems for front-of-the-eye ocular delivery with the dosing advantages of punctal plugs and drug-coated contact lenses, without the disadvantages. For example, in addition to manufacturing challenges, drug-eluting contact lenses impact the vision field with inherent alterations in the visual actuity of the lens as the drug depletes, and punctal plugs require installation by a clinician. EySite-NanoM™ does not interfere with a patient's field of vision, nor does it have to be installed by a clinician.

"This delivery system is transformational and has the potential to replace frequent and inefficient eye-drop administration for chronic ocular disorders," says Shikha Barman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Integral BioSystems.

About Integral BioSystems
Integral BioSystems is a specialty drug delivery research organization that offers an integrated, practical approach to formulation development projects for both small molecule and large molecule drug candidates. The company offers contract services to pharmaceutical companies to develop its drug products, through its CMC offerings in analytical method development, formulation development, process development, scale-up and technology transfer. The company also partners with pharmaceutical companies to co-develop products based on its proprietary ophthalmic delivery systems, OcuSurf™ and EySite™, both of which are patent pending.

Contact
Dave Karasic, Esq.
Chief Operations Officer
Integral BioSystems LLC
781-275-8059
Email 
http://integralbiosystems.com

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R43EY025450. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

SOURCE Integral BioSystems LLC