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E-mail Xinhua, April 10, 2025
JERUSALEM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have developed an effective eyedrop formulation that improves the delivery and retention of topical antibiotics on the ocular surface of dogs, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) said in a statement on Wednesday.
HU noted that this innovation is important for improving the treatment of bacterial eye infections in dogs and for its potential application in human medicine.
In a study published in the journal Veterinary Ophthalmology, researchers compared the commonly used excipient polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with cross-linked hyaluronic acid (XHA) as carriers for the antibiotics cefazolin and chloramphenicol in dogs.
It was found that both antibiotics achieved significantly higher concentrations and longer retention when delivered with XHA.
The overall antibiotic exposure, measured by the area under the concentration-time curve, was 2.4 times greater for cefazolin and 4.2 times greater for chloramphenicol compared to the PVA formulation.
The researchers said that XHA enhances antibiotic retention on the ocular surface, leading to improved treatment efficacy, reduced dosing frequency, and boosted compliance. It also has antibacterial properties, supports corneal wound healing, and improves tear film quality, benefiting patients with ocular infections.
They noted that maintaining therapeutic drug levels for longer periods, as achieved with XHA, could help minimize the risk of antimicrobial resistance, a growing global concern in both veterinary and human healthcare.
The researchers explained that dogs are a valuable model in ophthalmic research, as they share many of the same ocular diseases as humans, and their eye anatomy and physiology closely resemble those of humans, unlike the more commonly used species in pre-clinical trials, such as rabbits or rodents.
The study also paves the way for exploring XHA-based delivery for other ocular medications, such as antivirals, antifungals, and anti-inflammatory agents, in both animal and human patients. Enditem
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