Controlled drug release from contact lenses: a comprehensive review from 1965-present

This review covers the progress within the field of drug releasing contact lenses since 1965. It highlights the enormous potential of controlled release mechanisms and offers a comprehensive, comparative review of lenses, drugs, methods, drug loading, drug delivery rate, and release duration. Methods have included molecular imprinting as well various forms of mediated release via carriers, surfactants, inclusion complexes, and molecular barriers. Drug-soaked lens were the earliest releasing lenses, but they offer very little control over the release profile with low drug loading, are characterized by decaying, Fickian release rates, and typically reach completion in a very short amount of time. Molecular imprinting is consistently one of the most promising and versatile methods of enhanced drug loading and extended release with tailorable control over release rate when factors are balanced such as lens thickness, material, and release media and conditions.