Contact lens based bioactive agent delivery system

1. A bioactive agent delivery system comprising a contact lens having dispersed therein (1) an ophthalmically bioactive agent, said agent being capable of diffusion through said contact lens and into the post-lens tear film when said contact lens is placed on the eye and (2) associated with said bioactive agent, at least one ophthalmically compatible polymeric surfactant, said surfactant being present in an amount sufficient to form aggregates or micelles and attenuate the rate of migration of said bioactive agent through said contact lens.

2. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said polymeric surfactant comprises a block copolymer having a hydrophobic segment and a hydrophilic segment.

3. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 2 wherein said bioactive agent is hydrophobic and is associated with the hydrophobic segment of said surfactant.

4. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said contact lens comprises a polymer formed from a reaction mixture comprising at least one hydrophilic monomer.

5. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 4 wherein said hydrophilic monomer is an unsaturated carboxylic acid; acrylic substituted alcohol; vinyl lactam or acrylamide.

6. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 5 wherein said hydrophilic monomer is selected from the group consisting of methacrylic or acrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethylacrylate, N-vinyl pyrrolidone, methacrylamide, N-vinyl-N-methacetamide, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, and mixtures thereof.

7. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said bioactive agent is hydrophilic and is associated with the hydrophilic segment of said surfactant.

8. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said contact lens comprises a hydrophobic material.

9. A bioactive agent delivery system of claim 8 wherein said hydrophobic material is selected from the group consisting of a silicone, silicone containing prepolymers and macromers, polydimethylsiloxane, pentamethyldisiloxanyl methylmethacrylate, tris(trimethylsiloxy)methacryloxy propylsilane, methyldi(trimethylsiloxy)methacryloxymethyl silane, monomethacryloxypropyl terminated mono-n-butyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane, mono-(3-methacryloxy-2-hydroxypropyloxy)propyl terminated, mono-butyl terminated polydimethylsiloxane, bis-3-methacryloxy-2-hydroxypropyloxypropyl polydimethylsiloxanes, 3-methacryloxy-2-hydroxypropyloxy)propylbis(trimethylsiloxy)methylsilane, 3-[tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl]propyl vinyl carbamate, methyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and mixtures thereof.

10. The bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said polymeric surfactant is present at such a level to provide at least 1.5% surfactant loading in a dry gel.

11. The bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said polymeric surfactant is present at such a level to provide at least 3.5% surfactant loading in a dry gel.

12. The bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said polymeric surfactant is present at such a level to provide at least 8.0% surfactant loading in a dry gel.

13. The bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said contact lens has a drug loaded within and said polymeric surfactant operates to extend the release of the drug over a period of about 25 days.

14. The bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said polymeric surfactant is present at such a level to provide about 1.4% surfactant loading in a dry gel and a drug release duration of about 400 hours.

15. The bioactive agent delivery system of claim 1 wherein said polymeric surfactant is present at such a level to provide at least 4.5% surfactant loading in a dry gel and a drug release duration of about 900 hours.