Long Acting Polymeric Microparticles for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Authors

Sagun Poudel, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow

Original Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Presentation

Comments

First place winner of the 10th Annual VCU 3MT® Competition, held on October 4, 2024

Abstract

The research is in the field of long-acting polymeric microparticles for age-related macular degeneration.

Transcription

Next, we have Sagun Poudel, studying long-acting polymeric microparticles for age-related macular degeneration from the School of Pharmacy, and their advisor is Dr. Chingo Schu. Imagine waking up one morning and you find your vision is blurred. You have a hard time reading, driving, and even recognizing your loved ones—sad, right? For millions of older adults suffering from age-related macular degeneration or AMD, this isn't just a nightmare. It is their sad reality. AMD is a form of retinal disorder and is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. So far, nearly 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with some forms of AMD, which is alarming. The current treatment for AMD is not exactly a walk in the park. It involves frequent invasive injections into the eyes every month or two. These injections are very painful, inconvenient, and put a significant financial and psychological burden on the patients. Frequent injections can cause the drug levels in the eyes to go beyond the therapeutic window, compromising both safety and efficacy. The kicker is that nearly 40% of the patients do not see an improvement in their visual outcomes with these current treatment methods. But what if? There is a way to reduce the burden and make the treatment methods more patient-friendly. That's where my research comes in. My research, labors is a novel technology, where instead of monthly injections, one injection can last for six months. Yes, you heard it right. We have engineered biodegradable polymeric microparticles using FDA-approved polymers into which we load our drugs. These microparticles, upon injection, form a depot away from he visual axis, slowly degrade, and release the drug for six months or longer. We're also able to maintain he drug within the desired therapeutic window, that can minimize the toxicity associated with multiple injections. For my doctoral research, we have successfully designed, characterized, and evaluated these particles. We have proven their sustained drug release behavior to the retina in higher animal models. For six months, we did not observe any toxicity, and the good news is that we're successful in treating the AMD-related hallmarks in the genetically modified animal models with a single injection for six months. We've already secured a patent on this technology, and we're excited about the prospect of translating our preclinical resource to clinical trials. In a nutshell, I'm working on paving the way towards preserving the site and enhancing the quality of life for countless older adults because that my friends is a vision worth fighting for. Thank you.

Rights

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