Development of new chemical and physical strategies to enhance topical drug delivery

This project investigated the non-invasive iontophoretic delivery of novel triamcinolone acetonide amino acid prodrugs (TA-AA) synthesized in-house, to the eye and skin. Chapter 1 contains an exhaustive literature research on ocular iontophoresis. Chapter 2 describes the intracorneal iontophoresis of two TA-AA prodrugs, focusing on the quantitative (UHPLC-MS/MS) and qualitative (visualization by full field optical coherence tomography) evaluation of TA biodistribution. Chapter 3 presents the intracorneal distribution of 10 TA-AA prodrugs with analysis of the delivery of each individual prodrug in terms of its physicochemical properties. Chapter 4 describes the transscleral iontophoresis, using the entire eye globe, of selected TA-AA prodrugs and the quantification of TA in the different ocular compartments as a non-invasive alternative to ocular corticosteroid injections. Chapter 5 contains a detailed analysis of TA-AA prodrugs iontophoretic delivery into the skin as well as the co-iontophoretic delivery of TA-Arg (arginine) with the calcium channel blocker verapamil.