Bi-functional co-polymer use for ophthalmic and other topical and local applications

1. A method for prolonging the stability of an ocular surface tear film of a subject, comprising contacting said ocular surface of said subject with a composition comprising a graft copolymer having a positively charged backbone and one or more hydrophilic water soluble side chains selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycols, polysaccharides, poly(meth)acrylates, polyacrylamides, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethyloxazoline, poly-N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP) and poly boronic-based polymers, wherein the positively charged backbone is selected from the group consisting of poly(2-vinyl pyridine), poly(4-vinyl pyridine) and vinyl co-polymers thereof, in an amount and for a duration so as to prolong the stability of said tear film of said subject.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said graft copolymer creates a covalent linkage between said graft copolymer and said ocular surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said graft copolymer creates an electrolytic interaction between said graft copolymer and said ocular surface.

4. The method of claim 1 , where said polyethylene glycols are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , where said polysaccharides are selected from the group consisting of dextran, carboxylated cellulosics, carboxymethyl cellulose, natural gums, carageenan, alginates and hyaluronic acid and mixtures thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , where poly boronic based polymers are selected from polymers having boronic-based functional groups selected from the group consisting of phenylboronic acid (PBA), 2-carboxyethaneboronic acid, 1,2-dicarboxyethaneboronic acid, ββ′-d carboxyethaneboronate, βγ-dicarboxypropaneboronate, 2-nitro- and 4-nitro-3-succinamidobenzene boronic acids, 3-nitro-4-(6-aminohexylamido)phenyl boronic acid, {4-[(hexamethylenetetramine) methyl]phenyllboronic acid, 4-(N-methyl)carboxamidobenzene boronic acid, 2-{[(4-boronphenyl)methy]ethylammonio} ethyl and 2-{[(4-boronphenyl) methyl]diethylammoniol-ethyl groups, succinyl-3-aminophenylboronic add, 6-aminocaproy 1-3-aminophenylboronic acid, 3-(N succinimidoxycarbonyl) aminophenyl borona-.epsilon., p-(omega.-aminoethyl)phenylboronate, p-vinyl benzeneboronate, N-(3-dihydroxyborylphenyl)succinamic acid, N-(4-rtro-3-dihydroxy borylphenyl)succinamic acid, 0-dimethylaminomethylbenzene boronic acid, 4-carboxy benzene boronic acid, 4-(N-octyl)carboxamido benzene boronic acid, 3-nitro-4-carboxybenzeneboronic acid, 2-nitro-4-carboxybenzene boronic acid, 4-bromophenylboronate, p-vinylbenzene boronate, 4-(.omega.-aminoethyl)phenylboronate, catechol [2-(diethylamino)carbonyl, 4-bromomethyl]phenyl boronate, and 5-vinyl-2-dimethylaminomethyl benzeneboronic acid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said graft copolymer comprises 0.001 to 40% of said composition.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises a second polymer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises one or more of a surfactant, a preservative, and a pharmaceutical ingredient selected from the group consisting of: a demulcent, an emollient, sodium chloride and a vasoconstrictor.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising contacting topically to said ocular surface a second, different eye drop.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said vasoconstrictor is selected from the group consisting of Ephedrine hydrochloride, Naphazoline hydrochloride, Phenylephrine hydrochloride and Tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said emollient is selected from the group consisting of lanolin, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, white ointment, white petrolatum, white wax and yellow wax.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein prolonging said stability of an ocular surface tear film of a subject provides prolonged ocular comfort to said subject.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition is in a volume sufficient for instillation in the eye, and wherein said graft copolymer is at a concentration ranging from 0.1 to 3 wt %.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises a poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) block co-polymer surfactant.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises an active agent for treating ophthalmic disease.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said active agent is selected from the group consisting of an antibiotic, acetazolamide, antazoline, aspirin, atropine, azelastine, bacitracin, betaxolol, bimatoprost, a botanical drug, lutein, lycopene, brimonodine, brinzolamide, carbachol, carteolol, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, cromalyn, cyclosporine, a cyclosporine pro-drug, a cyclosporine derivative, an immunomodulators, dapiprazole, dexamethasone, diclofenac, dipivifren, dorzolamide, epinephrine, erythromycin, fluoromethalone, flurbiprofen, gentamycin, a glaucoma medication, gramicidin, homatropine, hydrocortisone, hyoscine, keterolac, ibuprofen, ketotifen, latanaprost, levobunolol, levocabastine, levofloxin, lotepprednol, medrysone, methazolamide, metipranolol, naphazoline, natamycin, nedocromil, neomycin, neuroprotective agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, nepafanec, norfloxacin, ofloxacin olopatadine, oxymetazoline, pemirolast, pheniramine, phenylephrine, pilocarpine, povidone, prednisolone, proparacaine, scopolamine, tetracaine, steroids, sulfacetamide, tetrahydrozoline, hypertonic tears, timolal, tobramycin, travaprost, trifluridine, trimethiprim, tropicamide, unoprostone and zinc.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of fluoroquinolones, vancomycin, cephalosporin, gentamycin, erythromycin, azithromycin, sulfa drugs, bacitracin, gatifloxacin, levofloxin, moxifloxacin and ofloxacin.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein said glaucoma medication is selected from the group consisting of a prostaglandin, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, an epinephrine agonist, an alpha-agonist, and a beta-blocker.