Impact of polymer source variations on hydrogel structure and product performance in dexamethasone-loaded ophthalmic inserts.

ABSTRACT: Localized drug delivery can enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic side effects, making sustained-release ophthalmic inserts an attractive alternative to traditional eye drops. Such inserts offer improved patient compliance through prolonged therapeutic effects and a reduced need for frequent administration. This study focuses on dexamethasone-containing ophthalmic inserts. These inserts utilize a key excipient, polyethylene glycol (PEG), which forms a hydrogel upon contact with tear fluid. Developing generic equivalents of PEG-based inserts is challenging due to difficulties in characterizing inactive ingredients and the absence of standardized physicochemical characterization methods to demonstrate similarity. To address this gap, a suite of analytical approaches was appl

SUBMITTER: VandenBerg MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12635916 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature