Drug Delivery across Barriers to the Middle and Inner Ear

The prevalence of ear disorders has spurred efforts to develop drug delivery systems to treat these conditions. Here, recent advances in drug delivery systems that access the ear through the tympanic membrane (TM) are reviewed. Such methods are either non-invasive (placed on the surface of the TM), or invasive (placed in the middle ear, ideally on the round window [RW]). The major hurdles to otic drug delivery are identified and highlighted the representative examples of drug delivery systems used for drug delivery across the TM to the middle and (crossing the RW also) inner ear.

Automated summary

This review highlights recent advances in drug delivery systems for treating ear disorders by accessing the ear through the tympanic membrane (TM). The methods discussed include non-invasive (on the surface of the TM) and invasive (in the middle ear, ideally on the round window [RW]). Major hurdles to otic drug delivery are identified, along with representative examples of drug delivery systems used to deliver drugs across the TM to the middle and inner ear (crossing the RW as well).