Ophthalmic drug delivery · Founded 2024–2025

An eye drop that goes in as a liquid and stays as a gel.

GelRelease is developing a nanoemulsion in situ gel of timolol maleate that flows at pH 4 and gels at the eye's pH of 7.4. It is designed for people with glaucoma who need steady eye pressure control without the short contact time of ordinary drops.

See the solutionView the results
87.40%cumulative drug release over 24 h (lead formulation, lab test)
pH 7.4trigger point where the liquid becomes a gel
9trial formulations screened to pick the lead
Formulation profile At a glance
ActiveBeta blocker used for raised eye pressure
Timolol maleate
Gelling polymerpH-sensitive carbomer
Carbopol 934p
ViscosityAt pH 4 vs pH 7.4 (lead formulation)
129 to 265 cps
Why it matters: A drop that thickens on contact can stay on the eye longer and release drug steadily instead of washing away.
The problem

Ordinary eye drops do not stay put.

Glaucoma treatment depends on keeping eye pressure down day after day, but a conventional drop has only a short window on the eye surface.

Fast wash-out

Tears and blinking clear a liquid drop quickly, so much of each dose never has time to act.

Peaks and troughs

Short contact time means drug levels rise and fall instead of staying steady between doses.

Thick gels are hard to dose

A preformed gel stays longer but is harder to instil accurately than a free-flowing drop.

Our solution

A nanoemulsion that gels when it meets the eye.

We combine a timolol maleate nanoemulsion with Carbopol 934p. The formulation is liquid in the bottle at pH 4 and sets into a gel at the lacrimal pH of 7.4.

Trigger

pH-switched gelation

pH 4 to 7.4liquid in the bottle, gel on the eye
  • Instils like a normal drop
  • Gels on contact with tear fluid
  • No heating or mixing step for the user
Release

Sustained, near zero-order release

R² 0.982zero-order fit of the lead formulation's release data
  • 87.40% released over 24 h in lab testing
  • Korsmeyer-Peppas exponent n = 0.902
  • Designed for steadier drug levels
Quality

Consistent and stable

99.79%drug content of the lead formulation
  • Drug content 99.26% after 3 months at 40 °C
  • Drug content 99.75% after 3 months at 2 to 8 °C
  • pH held close to 4 in storage
How it works

How the gel works

From bottle to eye surface in four steps.

  1. 1

    Nanoemulsion core

    Timolol maleate is carried in a nanoemulsion with droplet sizes measured from 76 nm to 1000 nm across the trial batches.

    NanoemulsionTimolol maleate
  2. 2

    Polymer network

    Carbopol 934p is dispersed through the emulsion and keeps it fluid at pH 4.

    Carbopol 934ppH 4
  3. 3

    Gel on contact

    At the eye's pH of 7.4 the polymer swells and viscosity rises from 129 cps to 265 cps.

    pH 7.4In situ gel
  4. 4

    Steady release

    The gel holds the drug at the eye surface and releases it over hours rather than minutes.

    Sustained release24 h
Results

What the research shows

Laboratory release and stability testing plus an in vivo study in rabbits comparing the lead formulation (NEI5) with a marketed eye drop.

87.40%cumulative release at 24 h
0.982zero-order R² for the lead formulation
23.6 to 15.4intraocular pressure in mm Hg at 120 min in rabbits
3 monthsstorage stability tested at 40 °C and 2 to 8 °C
Release kinetics of the lead formulation (NEI5), as reported
ModelReported value
Zero-orderR² = 0.982
First-orderR² = 0.835
HiguchiR² = 0.990
Korsmeyer-Peppasn = 0.902

Source: Vijaya Rani et al., Polymers 14(3), 427 (2022). doi:10.3390/polym14030427

Who it's for

Who it is for

GelRelease is built around the needs of eye care and ophthalmic product development.

Ophthalmic pharma partners

  • A ready formulation concept for timolol maleate
  • Characterised release and stability data
  • Room to adapt the platform to other eye drugs

Eye care clinicians

  • A drop that instils like a liquid
  • Longer contact on the eye surface
  • Aimed at steadier pressure control

People with glaucoma

  • Familiar eye drop format
  • Designed to stay where it is placed
  • Built for daily long-term use
Where we are

Where we are today

GelRelease is a research-stage project. Here is what the evidence does and does not cover.

Preclinical only

Results come from laboratory testing and a small study in six rabbits. No human trials have been done.

Release model needs confirming

The paper reports zero-order release, but the Higuchi model also fitted closely and the mechanism was described as non-Fickian. Further work should settle this.

Scale-up ahead

Batches were made at laboratory scale. Sterile manufacture, longer stability and comfort testing are still to come.

The team

The team

Founded in 2024–2025 by the research team behind the nanoemulsion in situ gel study published in Polymers.

KR

K. Reeta Vijaya Rani

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

SR

Sruthi Rajan

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

MB

Mullaicharam Bhupathyraaj

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

RP

R. Krishna Priya

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

NH

Nirmala Halligudi

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

MA

Mohammad Abobakr Al-Ghazali

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

SS

Sathvik Belagodu Sridhar

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

JS

Javedh Shareef

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

ST

Sabin Thomas

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

SD

S.M. Desai

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

PP

Pandurang D. Pol

Co-author of the GelRelease research.

Frequently asked questions

What is an in situ gel?

It is a liquid that turns into a gel after it is applied. Ours switches when it meets the pH of tear fluid.

Which drug does it carry?

Timolol maleate, a medicine used to lower raised eye pressure in glaucoma.

How long does release last?

In laboratory testing the lead formulation released 87.40% of its drug over 24 hours.

Has it been tested in animals?

Yes. In rabbits the lead formulation lowered intraocular pressure from 23.6 mm Hg to 15.4 mm Hg at 120 minutes, compared against a marketed timolol eye drop.

Is it available to patients?

No. It is at the preclinical research stage and has not been tested in people.

The research

Peer-reviewed science behind GelRelease.

Read the full study behind the product.

Read the paper

Vijaya Rani, K. R., Rajan, S., Bhupathyraaj, M., Priya, R. K., Halligudi, N., Al-Ghazali, M. A., Sridhar, S. B., Shareef, J., Thomas, S., Desai, S. M., & Pol, P. D. (2022). The effect of polymers on drug release kinetics in nanoemulsion in situ gel formulation. Polymers, 14(3), 427.

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14030427