(426) Developing ciprofloxacin-loaded HEMA contact lenses for sustained release.

Introduction: Ciprofloxacin is a commonly used antibiotic for treating ocular infections including bacterial conjunctivitis. Ciprofloxacin eye drops are often accompanied by a burning sensation and precipitation due to their insolubility at neutral pH, therefore requiring a pH of 4.5 to keep the drug dissolved in solution and are rapidly cleared from the target site. (1) By formulating ciprofloxacin-loaded 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) contact lenses, sustained release can be achieved at neutral pH thereby increasing patient compliance while limiting the discomfort of conventional eye drops.