Jung,J.H.; Chiang,B.; Grossniklaus,H.E.; Prausnitz,M.R. J.ControlledRelease 2018, 277, 14–22. doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.03.001 Chinnery,H.R.; McMenamin,P.G.; Dando,S.J. PfluegersArch. 2017, 469, 501–515. doi:10.1007/s00424-017-1947-5

Pascolini,D.; Mariotti,S.P. Br.J.Ophthalmol. 2012, 96, 614–618. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2011-300539 Lee,K.; Song,H.B.; Cho,W.; Kim,J.H.; Kim,J.H.; Ryu,W. ActaBiomater. 2018, 80, 48–57. doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2018.09.039 Yadav,V.; Sharma,P.K.; Murty,U.S.; Mohan,N.H.; Thomas,R.; Dwivedy,S.K.; Banerjee,S. Int.J.Pharm. 2021, 605, 120815. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2021.120815Sharma,R.; Sircar,P.; Pachori,R.B.; Bhandary,S.V.; Acharya,U.R. J.Mech.Med.Biol. 2019, 19, No.1940011. doi:10.1142/s0219519419400116 Cabrera,F.J.; Wang,D.C.; Reddy,K.; Acharya,G.; Shin,C.S. DrugDiscoveryToday 2019, 24, 1679–1684. doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2019.05.035

Simultaneously with the development of single-microneedle technologies, research is focused on microneedle systems/patches for ocular drug delivery. Initially, such arrays were considered as painless, non-invasive, and highly efficient alternative for transdermal, intradermal, and percutaneous delivery of drugs [8,101,102]. Recently, it has been found that they can be successfully applied to the cornea or sclera [103]. Microneedles in skin administration have been studied for many years, including delivery of various therapeutic agents. These included antibiotics [104,105] or antifungals [106] for the treatment of local skin infections but also other drugs intended to achieve systemic action, for example, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [107], antihypertensives [108], and lipid-lowering drugs [109]. Moreover, microneedles (MNs) are broadly investigated as very promising platforms for the delivery of large molecules such as insulin [110] or nucleic acids [111,112]. Another application for which MNs have great potential is vaccine delivery [113-116]. The use of MNs in ophthalmology can still be considered as a fledgling area, however, with great potential but also many unknowns. The presented review summarizes the current data on ophthalmic microneedle patches, their manufacturing techniques, and the obtained therapeutic efficacy. In addition to a number of advantages, the questionable aspects related to this dosage form are also discussed. 2 Types of microneedle: materials, fabrication and properties for drug delivery 2.1 Microneedle system types and properties Aung,N.N.; Ngawhirunpat,T.; Rojanarata,T.; Patrojanasophon,P.; Pamornpathomkul,B.; Opanasopit,P. Int.J.Pharm. 2020, 586, 119508. doi:10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119508 Krtalić,I.; Radošević,S.; Hafner,A.; Grassi,M.; Nenadić,M.; Cetina-Čižmek,B.; Filipović-Grčić,J.; Pepić,I.; Lovrić,J. J.Pharm.Sci. 2018, 107, 1562–1571. doi:10.1016/j.xphs.2018.01.019 These microneedle eye patches combine cutting-edge microneedle technology with a high concentration of clinically proven active ingredients. The results? Dramatically reduced wrinkles and refreshed and rejuvenated skin from the very first application.What I can always see right away is a brightening of the shadows and lightening my dark circles. It’s unbelievable just how much lighter they are. The skin looks so much hydrated which has really helped to reduce the crepiness of my skin and soften the lines. Tan,G.S.; Cheung,N.; Simó,R.; Cheung,G.C.M.; Wong,T.Y. LancetDiabetesEndocrinol. 2017, 5, 143–155. doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(16)30052-3 Rashid,M.A.; Naz,T.; Abbas,M.; Nazir,S.; Younas,N.; Majeed,S.; Qureshi,N.; Akhtar,M.N. ColloidInterfaceSci.Commun. 2019, 28, 41–48. doi:10.1016/j.colcom.2018.11.006 Park KY, Kwon HJ, Lee C, et al Efficacy and safety of a new microneedle patch for skin brightening: a randomized, split-face, single-blind study, J Cosmet Dermatol 2017, 16, 382–387. DOI: 10.1111/jocd.12354 Li,J.; Zeng,M.; Shan,H.; Tong,C. Curr.Med.Chem. 2017, 24, 2413–2422. doi:10.2174/0929867324666170526124053

Chen,W.; Wang,C.; Yan,L.; Huang,L.; Zhu,X.; Chen,B.; Sant,H.J.; Niu,X.; Zhu,G.; Yu,K.N.; Roy,V.A.L.; Gale,B.K.; Chen,X. J.Mater.Chem.B 2014, 2, 1699–1705. doi:10.1039/c3tb21698e

Thanks for the great read. Needles actually scare me to bits, but maybe the pain could be worth it.