CLs could deliver glaucoma drug

Glaucoma patients could be set to benefit from a contact lens able to deliver medication gradually to the eye, following new studies in the US.

Research at Harvard Medical School, published in Ophthalmology journal, used a strategically placed drug polymer film to deliver drugs as effectively as daily latanoprost eye drops in a pre-clinical model for glaucoma.

First author and ophthalmologist Dr Joseph Ciolino said: ‘We found that a lower-dose contact lens delivered the same amount of pressure reduction as the latanoprost drops, and a higher-dose lens, interestingly enough, had better pressure reduction than the drops in our small study.

‘Based on our preliminary data, the lenses have not only the potential to improve compliance for patients, but also the potential of providing better pressure reduction than the drops.’