BILLARD addresses the treatment of retinal diseases that are currently treated by regular injections of VEGF inhibitors into the vitreous. As these injections need to be repeated every 4-8 weeks and high drug concentrations lead to rapid elimination rates, continuous release depots offer a promising approach to ensure stable drug levels and prolong injection intervals.

Under the coordination of the INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials and in collaboration with the Eye Center at Medical Center, University of Freiburg, the project is developing a depot made of biodegradable polymers that can release drugs in a targeted manner over longer periods of time. Nature provides the inspiration: similar to how cells store proteins and release them in a targeted manner, the depot uses biophysical mechanisms to make the active ingredients available for several months.

The advantages are obvious: fewer injections reduce the burden on patients, minimize the risk of complications and at the same time reduce the burden on the healthcare system. The concept also has great potential to make existing drugs more efficient by extending their duration of action and thus fundamentally improve the treatment of retinal diseases.

You can find more information about this exciting project and the people involved on the project page (only in German) with additional background information and contact options.