PHARMA PULSE

PHARMA PULSE BY LINU MOHAN

CONTACT LENSES TO DELIVER EYE MEDICATIONS

Contact lenses are medical devices worn directly on the cornea of the eye. By adding or subtracting focusing power of the eye's cornea and lens, contact lenses help to correct refractive errors. Eye drops are medicated drops used to administer through ocular route. Depending on the condition being treated, they may contain steroids, antihistamines, beta receptor blockers, prostaglandins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, etc. Eye drops are used to dispense most eye medications, but new studies reveals that, they are less effective because, only about 1 to 7 percent of eye drop medications are absorbed into the eye. The remaining part is leaks out. In some cases eye drops mix with tears, which then drain into the nasal cavity and get into the bloodstream, and the drugs can cause side effects.

Recently a team of scientists developed disposable lenses efficient of delivering controlled doses of medication. They had developed daily-use lenses that can be worn for a full day and extended-wear category which can be left in eye for about 30 days.

The principle is that, a biodegradable polymer film is mixed with a medication, and coated with hydrogel, which is the same material used to make contact lenses. This is highly useful for those patients, who are directed to administer antibiotics, anti-inflammatory agents or anti-allergy drugs several times a day. Rather than being exposed to a sudden high dose of medication, the patient would get the right amount of medicine all the time and also it will maintain all of the other lens properties. These types of contact lenses offer the increased efficacy and effective drug delivery, which translates to better eye health.

INTRAGASTRIC BALLOON FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Obesity defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A crude population measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person’s weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of his or her height (in metres).It increases risk of diseases and health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in India, affecting 5% of the country's population.Reducing obesity requires long-term, lifestyle changes which include dietary changes and daily physical activity to reduce the body weight, and maintain a healthy weight in the future.

Now FDA had given approval for Intragastric Balloon System, which is a weight-loss system that uses a gastric balloon that engages space in the stomach. In this technique,using invasive endoscopic procedure, the balloon is placed into the stomach through the mouth, while the patient is under mild sedation. Once in place, the balloon is filled with salt water so that it expands into a spherical shape. Depend upon patient’s body structure and requirement; the balloon can be filled with different amounts of saline (from 400 to 700 cc). The system is temporary and should be removed after 6 months.The device is used in obese adult patients who have a BMI of 30-40 kg/m2 and have been unable to lose weight through diet and exercise. But the device is not indicated in certain condition like any inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract,upper gastrointestinal bleeding conditions, allergy,severe clotting or bleeding disorder etc.