INTRACANALICULAR HYDROGEL INSERTS FOR THE DELIVERY OF ANESTHETICS

1 . A biodegradable ocular hydrogel composition comprising an anesthetic and a polymer network, wherein said anesthetic is delivered to the eye in a sustained manner for a period of about 12 hours or longer.

2 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network comprises a plurality of polyethylene glycol (PEG) units.

3 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network comprises a plurality of multi-arm PEG units having from 2 to 10 arms.

4 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network comprises a plurality of multi-arm PEG units having from 4 to 10 arms.

5 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network comprises a plurality of multi-arm PEG units having from 4 to 8 arms.

6 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network comprises a plurality of multi-arm PEG units having 8 arms.

7 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network comprises a plurality of multi-arm PEG units having 4 arms.

8 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network comprises a plurality of PEG units having the formula:

wherein n represents an ethylene oxide repeating unit and the dashed lines represent the points of repeating units of the polymer network

9 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network is formed by reacting a plurality of polyethylene glycol (PEG) units selected from 4a20K PEG SAZ, 4a20K PEG SAP, 4a20K PEG SG, 4a20K PEG SS, 8a20K PEG SAZ, 8a20K PEG SAP, 8a20K PEG SG, 8a20K PEG SS with one or more PEG or Lysine based-amine groups selected from 4a20K PEG NH2, 8a20K PEG NH2, and trilysine, or a salt thereof.

10 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network is formed by reacting 4a20k PEG SG with trilysine or a salt thereof.

11 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network is amorphous under aqueous conditions.

12 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymer network is semi-crystalline in the absence of water.

13 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the particulate anesthetic inhibitor is homogenously dispersed within the polymer network.

14 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is delivered to the eye in a sustained manner for a period ranging from about 12 hours to about 10 days.

15 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is delivered to the eye in a sustained manner for a period for a period ranging from about 12 hours to about 7 days.

16 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is delivered to the eye in a sustained manner for a period for a period ranging from about 12 hours to about 4 days.

17 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is delivered to the eye in a sustained manner for a period ranging from about 18 hours to about 4 days, about 24 hours to about 4 days, 12 hours to about 3.5 days, 18 hours to about 3.5 days, 24 hours to about 3.5 days, 12 hours to about 3 days, 18 hours to about 3 days, 24 hours to about 3 days, 12 hours to about 2.5 days, 18 hours to about 2.5 days, 24 hours to about 2.5 days, 12 hours to about 2 days, 18 hours to about 2 days, 24 hours to about 2 days; or for about 24 hours, about 36 hours, about 2 days, about 2.5 days, about 3 days, about 3.5 days, or about 4 days.

18 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is microencapsulated.

19 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is microencapsulated with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) or poly(lactic acid) (PLA), or a combination thereof.

20 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is microencapsulated with PLGA.

21 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is selected from bupivacaine, lidocaine, proparacaine, tetracaine, dibucaine, benoxinate, ropivacaine, articaine, carbocaine, marcaine, mepivacaine, polocaine, prilocaine, sensorcaine, and septocaine.

22 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is selected from bupivacaine, lidocaine, proparacaine, and tetracaine.

23 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is bupivacaine.

24 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel composition comprises a clearance zone that is devoid of the undissolved anesthetic prior to release of the anesthetic.

25 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the anesthetic is present in the hydrogel composition at or near its saturation level.

26 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the size of the clearance zone increases as a function of the amount of anesthetic release.

27 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel composition is an intracanalicular insert.

28 . The hydrogel composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel composition is for delivery to the fornix of the eye.

29 . The ocular insert or insert of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel composition is fully degraded following release of the anesthetic.

30 . A method of treating or preventing ocular discomfort in a subject, comprising administering to the eye of the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the hydrogel composition of claim 1 .

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the ocular discomfort is caused by trauma, drying, infection, inflammation, surgery, irritation, or itching.