Safety and pharmacokinetics of an intravitreal biodegradable implant of dexamethasone acetate in rabbit eyes.

The treatment of vitreoretinal diseases is limited and, nowadays, new drug delivery approaches have been reported in order to increase drug bioavailability. The objective of the current study was to determine the pharmacokinetic profile of a biodegradable dexamethasone acetate implant inserted into the vitreous of rabbits and to evaluate its potential signs of toxicity to the rabbits' eyes. The results showed that the intravitreous drug concentration remained within the therapeutic range along the 8-week period of evaluation. The system under study was not toxic to the normal rabbit retina, and no significant increase in intraocular pressure was observed.