UC Berkeley

Current administration of ranibizumab and other therapeutic macromolecules to the vitreous and retina carries ocular risks, a high patient treatment burden, and compliance barriers that can lead to suboptimal treatment. Here we introduce a device that produces sustained release of ranibizumab in the vitreous cavity over the course of several months. Composed of twin nanoporous polymer thin films surrounding a ranibizumab reservoir, these devices provide release of ranibizumab over 16 weeks in vitro and 12 weeks in vivo, without exhausting the initial drug payload. Following implantation in vivo, devices were well-tolerated and showed no sign of immune response. This platform presents a potential solution to the challenge of delivering protein therapeutics to the vitreous and retina for sustained periods of time.