Drug delivery to the eye with a transdermal therapeutic system.

A matrix-type transdermal therapeutic system was developed for treating diseases of the eye where it is difficult for drug molecules to reach with conventional topical instillation. Prednisolone was employed as a model drug. An in vivo study using rats showed that the daily application of the patch maintained a constant plasma concentration of the drug, which was equivalent the therapeutic plasma level following three times daily oral administration (30 mg), for approximately 24 h. Transdermal delivery provided equivalent to or higher bioavailability (drug distribution) to the eyeball of topical administration. Moreover, pharmacokinetic analysis indicated that the present transdermal therapeutic system may be clinically effective as a new treatment for ocular diseases.