This textbook delivers a comprehensive compendium of ocular pharmaceutical research with particular emphasis on industrial and regulatory requirements to enable translation from bench to bedside.

With over 500 pages, it provides an overview of relevant anatomical and physiological features affecting ocular drug delivery, covering conventional dosage forms, such as solutions and suspensions, then delves into more advanced delivery systems, for example inserts, drug-eluting contact lenses and punctal plugs, which we may see more of in the years to come.

More importantly, it provides a roadmap from innovative drug delivery systems developed within academia to scalable, regulatory-compliant products that bridge the gap between academic research and industrial applications.

While it is mainly aimed at pharmaceutical scientists, it also contains a number of gems for the eyecare specialist. For example, the first chapter provides a comprehensive summary of the static, dynamic and metabolic barriers present in the eye that affect drug delivery. Knowing how to potentially circumvent some of these barriers can improve treatment efficacy.

Chapter 4 gives an overview of the fixed-dose combination products that can enhance treatment effectiveness while improving patient compliance with regard to eye drop administration, although it should be noted that not all of the listed products are available in New Zealand.

Chapter 10 highlights the safety considerations of newly developed nanomedicines that the eyecare professional should keep in mind, while chapter 11 covers information about the newer multi-dose dropper bottles that, due to their clever design, negate the need for preservatives.

Overall, this book provides a valuable reference for both newly qualified and seasoned professionals in the area of ocular therapeutics and highlights that delivering drugs effectively into the eye is not as simple as applying a drug solution to the ocular surface.

Professor Ilva Rupenthal is the director of the Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit (BOTU) in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Auckland.