Recent Patents and Emerging Therapeutics on Ocular Inflammation and Allergy

Background: Ocular inflammation and allergic eye diseases range from mild to severe may disturb visual function and affect` quality of life. Since these diseases require intensive therapies, the pathophysiology and treatments of these conditions are highlighted. Objective: The ocular diseases caused by inflammation and allergy are extensively studied in this review to provide an overview of the newer compounds, novel delivery approaches, preclinical and clinical trials for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome, and uveitis. Method: The eye is divided into two segments; anterior and posterior. Both segments provide barriers to the drug delivery to the eye. Despite many efforts by scientists, several potential drug candidates are often dropped from the initial screening portfolio due to failure in overcoming these barriers. Thus to overcome unmet challenges, remarkable progresses have been made towards the design of novel ocular therapeutics with enhanced activity and minimal toxicity to the ocular tissue. A comprehensible understanding of the diseased conditions, physiological barriers and pharmacokinetics of the eye would significantly accelerate the development of new therapeutics. Moreover, identification of new targets drives the discovery of novel drug molecules for the ocular disease treatment. Results: The advancement in the drug discovery and dosage from design showcases the increasing number of patent applications being filed and issued for allergic conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome, and uveitis. In addition, preclinical and clinical trials are now becoming available showing the newer generation of ocular drugs. Conclusion: This review presented a brief background on the disease condition, types, treatment, advancement in the delivery approaches, focus on emerging therapeutics, related patents and clinical trials for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome, and uveitis.