Antibody mimetics as an implantable tablet for sustained ocular release
Supervisory Team
Project Description
Corneal neovascularisation is a major cause of vision impairment, and current topical therapies are often limited by poor ocular penetration and the need for frequent dosing. This PhD project will develop an implantable, Fc-free antibody-mimetic formulation designed to deliver therapeutic payloads locally and continuously, reducing treatment burden while maintaining effective drug exposure at the target site.
The project will focus on FpF and/or RpR antibody mimetics, formulated as a lyophilised implantable tablet. Lyophilisation will be investigated as a route to enable high-concentration loading (particularly for RpR) and to improve stability and handling during formulation. The lead prototype will be an implant suitable for sub-conjunctival placement, enabling sustained release into ocular tissues for treatment of corneal neovascularisation.
The PhD candidate will develop and optimise the end-to-end workflow: lyophilisation of RpR/FpF, tablet/implant formulation, and evaluation of release performance. The work will include physicochemical characterisation, stability assessment, and in-vitro testing to establish release kinetics and bioactivity, with the longer-term aim of establishing a practical implant-based delivery strategy for ocular neovascular and inflammatory disease.