Subconjunctival sustained release 5-fluorouracil.

The authors have developed a sustained release device for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) made up of a 12 mg pellet of drug coated in a mixture of permeable and impermeable polymers. When implanted subconjunctivally in rabbits, these devices released 5-FU at approximately 1 mg/d for over 10 days. Devices were implanted into four cynomolgus monkey eyes after posterior lip sclerotomy. One eye (treatment) received a device that contained 12 mg 5-FU and the other eye (control) received a placebo device that contained no drug. In control eyes, intraocular pressures returned to normal within 1 wk. In treatment eyes, pressures remained significantly lower throughout the experimental period (3 mo). There was no indication of impaired wound healing, corneal toxicity, inflammation, or damage to the ciliary body in rabbits or monkeys.