In situ Gelling Polymers in Aqueous Ophthalmic and Parenteral Preparations

Zdeňka Šklubalová¹ (sklubalo@faf.cuni.cz), Ruta Masteiková²

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
² Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic

Summary

In situ gelling polymers undergo a rapid phase-change transition from liquid state (sol) to the gel in response to various physical or chemical stimuli. In ocular and injectable drug delivery, in situ gelling systems are intensively investigated since they offer many advantages such as that drug, in a sol state, can be easy mixed with vehicle and administered at the site of application to achieve prolong contact time with tissue and to improve bioavailability of drug. This article reviews the most often studied in situ gelling polymers in aqueous ophthalmic and parenteral preparations.