PEGs have been shown to have low cytotoxicity and excellent compatibility with living tissue. As Ocutec rolls out its optometric pipeline at an appropriate time, the company will target other medical device and pharma applications in which the benefits of PEGs can deliver significant clinical product enhancement. With increasing population and demographics, these may include high performance Intra Ocular Lenses, IOL’s, whose surface properties are designed to minimise clinical complications such as post operative endophthalmitis and secondary cataract formation.

Other applications of PEG polymers and surfaces may well include the emerging clinical need for tissue and organ regeneration. PEG polymers are likely to play a key role in designing intelligent surfaces which are able to control cell interaction and tissue regrowth. Other devices, which may benefit from PEG’s surface properties, are catheters where a major clinical problem is the attachment of bacteria and the formation of a biofilm, which rapidly become resistant to antibiotics. PEG surfaces are likely to reduce the adhesion of bacteria and when combined with the controlled release of antibiotics, could significantly reduce clinical infection. PEG polymers have a proven track record in controlled release of therapeutics. Possible product areas include design of high performance controlled release devices that are capable of being implanted in the body. Examples include the release of drugs to manage glaucoma in the eye, insulin to manage diabetes and anti inflammatories to control restinosis of implanted coronary stents.