Patent ID: 8633172

Claim:
A method for enhanced delivery of an ophthalmically active drug to the posterior segment of the eye, said method comprising applying topically to the eye surface of a subject in need of such delivery, an ophthalmic composition which is an aqueous suspension comprising drug, cyclodextrin and water, the drug having a solubility in pure water of less than 1 mg/ml at physiologic pH, the composition having an aqueous phase of from about 5% (w/v) to about 50% (w/v) of the drug in solution, as dissolved free drug and as dissolved drug/cyclodextrin complex(es), and a solid phase of from about 50% (w/v) to about 95% (w/v) of the drug as solid drug/cyclodextrin complex particles, the size of the particles in the solid phase being from about 0.1 μm to about 500 μm, the drug/cyclodextrin complex particles being capable of dissolving in tear fluid, the cyclodextrin comprising at least one natural cyclodextrin selected from the group consisting of α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin and γ-cyclodextrin, the total concentration of the drug/cyclodextrin complex in the composition being above the aqueous solubility of the complex.