Intravitreal injections (IVTs) of corticosteroids as triamcinolone acetonide (TA) are frequently used for the treatment of many vitreous and retinal disorders. However, IVTs are related to severe ocular complications. Lately, a topical ophthalmic TA-loaded liposomes formulation (TALF) was designed to transport TA into the posterior segment of the eye when instilled on the ocular surface. To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and biological activity of TALF, an animal study and a phase I clinical assay were performed. Moreover, four patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) were treated with TALF in order to explore the biological activity of the formulation. No inflammation, lens opacity, swelling, or increase in intraocular pressure were recorded after the instillation of TALF in any of the animal or clinical studies. Mainly, mild and transient adverse events such as dry eye and burning were reported. TALF significantly improves visual acuity and diminishes central foveal thickness in patients with DME. The current data demonstrate the safety, tolerability, and biological activity of TALF. It seems that TALF can be used topically to treat vitreous and retinal diseases that respond to TA such as DME, avoiding the use of corticosteroid IVTs and their associated hazards.

Due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-angiogenic effects, polyphenols are first-rate candidates to prevent or treat chronic diseases in which oxidative stress-induced inflammation plays a role in disease pathogenesis. Dry eye disease (DED) is a common pathology, on which novel phenolic compound formulations have been tested as an adjuvant therapeutic approach. However, polyphenols are characterized by limited stability and solubility, insolubility in water, very rapid metabolism, and a very short half-life. Thus, they show poor bioavailability. To overcome these limitations and improve their stability and bioavailability, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of an oral formulation containing among other compounds, polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids, with the addition of a surfactant in patients with DED. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of four study groups including the study formulation (A), placebo (P), the study formulation + eye lubricant (A + L), and placebo + eye lubricant (P + L). Patients from the A and P groups were instructed to take two capsules every 24 h, while patients in the L groups also added one drop of lubricant twice a day for 12 weeks as well. Regarding safety, non-ocular abnormalities were observed during study formulation therapy. Liver function tests did not show any statistically significant difference (baseline vs. week 4). Concerning efficacy, there was a statistically significant difference between baseline, month 1, and month 3 in the OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) test results in both treatment groups (group A and group A + L). Furthermore, both groups showed statistically significant differences between baseline and month 3 regarding the non-invasive film tear breakup time (NIF-BUT) score and a positive trend related to Shirmer’s test at month 3. The non-invasive average breakup time (NIAvg-BUT) score showed a statistically significant difference at month 3 when compared with baseline in the A + L group. The P + L group showed a statistically significant difference in terms of the OSDI questionary between baseline and month 3. Regarding the lissamine green staining, the A + L group showed a statistical difference between baseline and month 3 (p = 0.0367). The placebo + lubricant group did not show statistically significant differences. Finally, the placebo group did not show any data with statistically significant differences. Consequently, this polyphenol formulation as a primary treatment outperformed the placebo alone, and the polyphenol oral formulation used as an adjuvant to artificial tears was superior to the combination of the placebo and the artificial tears. Thus, our data strongly suggest that this polyphenol oral formulation improves visual strain symptoms and tear film status in patients with mild to moderate DED.

Purpose: To explore safety and therapeutic efficacy of a topical ophthalmic triamcinolone acetonide-loaded liposome formulation (TA-LF) as primary therapy in patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). Methods: Twelve eyes of 12 patients with ME secondary to BRVO were exposed to a topical instillation of 1 drop of TA-LF (TA 0.2%) 6 times a day for 12 weeks to evaluate safety and efficacy. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) intraocular pressure (IOP), slit lamp examination, and central foveal thickness (CFT) were analyzed at every visit. In addition, the morphology of TA-LF was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results: Patients presented a significant improvement of BCVA and CFT without significant IOP modification ( P = 0.94). Treated eyes showed BCVA improvement from 40 ± 12.05 to 64.83 ± 15.97 letters and CFT reduction from 682.91 ± 278.60 to 271.58 ± 57.66 μm after 12 weeks of TA-LF therapy ( P < 0.001). No adverse events, including IOP rising, were registered. SEM analysis of liposomal formulations showed that liposome (LP) size depends on its concentration. As the concentration of TA increased, the average size of LPs and the number of larger particles increased as well. TEM study displayed that LP formulation efficiently solubilizes TA crystals in nanoparticles and encapsulates them. Conclusion: LPs can function as nanocarriers of TA and they could be used as topical ophthalmic primary therapy instead of intravitreal drugs in patients with ME secondary to BRVO.

Novel strategies have been developed to reduce or avoid intravitreal injections (IVTs) of the antiangiogenic (ranibizumab (RBZ)) and anti-inflammatory (triamcinolone acetonide (TA)) agents used to treat vitreoretinal diseases. One of the strategies includes liposomes. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a topical triamcinolone-loaded liposome formulation (TALF) as an adjuvant to intravitreal RBZ therapy in treatment- naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Subjects were randomly assigned to the RBZ-TALF or the RBZ-pro re nata (RBZ-PRN) groups. Patients from the RBZ-TALF group were instructed to apply TALF for 12 months after a single dose of RBZ. Patients from the RBZ-PRN group received three monthly RBZ-IVTs. Retreatment with RBZ was considered in the case of nAMD reactivation. Regarding safety, non-ocular abnormalities were observed during TALF therapy. Concerning efficacy, non-significant differences were identified in terms of visual acuity or central foveal thickness when the RBZ-PRN and RBZ-TALF groups were compared. It is worth noting that the average number of RBZ injections was significantly lower in the RBZ-TALF group (2.5 ± 1.4 vs. 6.1 ± 1.3 IVTs; p = 0.0004). Therefore, TALF used as an adjuvant to RBZ reduces the need for RBZ-IVT retreatment with optimal visual and anatomic results.

The aim of this work was to assess the tolerability, safety, and efficacy of an ophthalmic topical formulation containing helenalin from Arnica montana and hyaluronic acid 0.4% (HA) in patients with mild-to-moderate Dry Eye Disease (DED) exhibiting positive Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) test results. Tolerability and safety were evaluated in 24 healthy subjects. Participants were instructed to apply one drop of the formulation three times a day in the study eye, for 2 weeks, followed by a clinical follow-up of 21 days. Efficacy was studied in 48 DED patients randomized into Study (Group 1/receiving the studied formulation) or Control (Group 2/Receiving HA 0.4% eye lubricant) groups for 1 month. Assessments included an MMP-9 positivity test, conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), non-invasive film tear breakup time (NIBUT), non-invasive average breakup time (NIAvg-BUT), ocular surface staining, Schirmer’s test, and meibomiography. A crossover design with an additional 1-month follow-up was applied to both groups. Healthy subjects receiving the studied formulation exhibited good tolerability and no adverse events. Regarding the efficacy study, Group 1 exhibited a statistically significant reduction in the MMP-9 positivity rate compared to Group 2 (p < 0.001). Both Group 1 and Group 2 exhibited substantial improvements in OSDI and NIBUT scores (p < 0.001). However, Group 1 demonstrated a significant improvement in NI-Avg-BUT and Schirmer’s test scores (p < 0.001), whereas Group 2 did not (p > 0.05). Finally, after the crossover, the proportion of MMP-9-positive subjects in Group 1 increased from 25% to 91.6%, while Group 2 showed a significant decrease from 87.5% to 20.8%. Overall, the topical formulation containing sesquiterpene helenalin from Arnica montana and hyaluronic acid was well tolerated and exhibited a favorable safety profile. Our formulation reduces DED symptomatology and modulates the ocular surface inflammatory process; this is evidenced by the enhancement of CIC, the improvement of DED-related tear film status, and the reduction of the MMP-9 positivity rate.