Ocular Films as a Drug Delivery System Against Fungal Infections: Current Insights and Future Directions

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nThis is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.n

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Year : 2025 [if 2224 equals=””]02/10/2025 at 12:35 PM[/if 2224] | [if 1553 equals=””] Volume : 12 [else] Volume : 12[/if 1553] | [if 424 equals=”Regular Issue”]Issue : [/if 424][if 424 equals=”Special Issue”]Special Issue[/if 424] [if 424 equals=”Conference”][/if 424] 02 | Page : 101 109

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    Keshav Rao Bapu Rao Kulkarni, Satish Kumar Sarankar,

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  1. Research Scholar, Professor & Principal, Department of Pharmacy, Mansarovar Global University, Sehore, Department of Pharmacy, Mansarovar Global University, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, India, India

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nFungal infections of the eye, including keratitis, endophthalmitis, and blepharitis, represent a challenging class of ocular diseases due to their potential for vision loss and the limited efficacy of existing treatments. These infections are caused by a range of pathogenic fungi, such as Aspergillus, Candida, and Fusarium species, and often require long-term therapeutic intervention. Conventional topical antifungal therapies, such as eye drops and ointments, suffer from poor ocular bioavailability due to rapid tear drainage, blinking, and limited corneal permeability. These limitations often necessitate frequent dosing and may lead to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes. In recent years, ocular films have emerged as an innovative and promising alternative for ocular drug delivery. These thin, polymer-based inserts adhere to the ocular surface and allow for controlled and sustained release of antifungal agents directly at the site of infection. They offer several advantages over traditional formulations, including prolonged retention time, improved patient compliance, reduced dosing frequency, and enhanced drug stability. Moreover, ocular films can be designed using a variety of polymers and fabrication methods to tailor their drug release profile, mucoadhesive properties, and biodegradability. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the pathophysiology and epidemiology of ocular fungal infections, emphasizing the need for more effective localized therapies. It explores the limitations of current delivery systems and highlights the superior design flexibility and performance of ocular films. The mechanisms of drug release, including diffusion-controlled and swelling-mediated systems, are also reviewed, alongside film retention strategies like mucoadhesion and bioresorption. Despite their potential, several scientific challenges remain in the widespread adoption of ocular films. These include issues related to drug loading capacity, polymer compatibility, manufacturing scalability, and individual variability in ocular physiology. The review concludes by outlining prospects, including smart, stimuli-responsive ocular films, and the integration of nanotechnology and biosensors for precision drug delivery. By addressing these challenges through multidisciplinary research, ocular films could revolutionize the management of ocular fungal infections and serve as a platform for treating a broader range of ocular diseases in the future.nn

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Keywords: Ocular fungal infections, ocular drug delivery, polymeric ocular films, antifungal therapy, sustained release systems.

n[if 424 equals=”Regular Issue”][This article belongs to Trends in Drug Delivery ]

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[/if 424][if 424 equals=”Special Issue”][This article belongs to Special Issue under section in Trends in Drug Delivery (tdd)][/if 424][if 424 equals=”Conference”]This article belongs to Conference [/if 424]

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How to cite this article:
nKeshav Rao Bapu Rao Kulkarni, Satish Kumar Sarankar. [if 2584 equals=”][226 wpautop=0 striphtml=1][else]Ocular Films as a Drug Delivery System Against Fungal Infections: Current Insights and Future Directions[/if 2584]. Trends in Drug Delivery. 20/06/2025; 12(02):101-109.

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nKeshav Rao Bapu Rao Kulkarni, Satish Kumar Sarankar. [if 2584 equals=”][226 striphtml=1][else]Ocular Films as a Drug Delivery System Against Fungal Infections: Current Insights and Future Directions[/if 2584]. Trends in Drug Delivery. 20/06/2025; 12(02):101-109. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/tdd/article=20/06/2025/view=0

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Volume 12
[if 424 equals=”Regular Issue”]Issue[/if 424][if 424 equals=”Special Issue”]Special Issue[/if 424] [if 424 equals=”Conference”][/if 424] 02
Received 25/04/2025
Accepted 02/06/2025
Published 20/06/2025
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Publication Time 56 Days

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