Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a new antibiotic eyedrop formulation for dogs that significantly improves how long the medicine remains effective on the eye—an innovation that could also benefit human patients. The findings, published this week in Veterinary Ophthalmology, suggest a major step forward in treating bacterial eye infections and curbing antimicrobial resistance.
The team compared two carriers for the antibiotics cefazolin and chloramphenicol: the commonly used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cross-linked hyaluronic acid (XHA). They discovered that XHA greatly outperformed PVA, delivering 2.4 times more exposure for cefazolin and 4.2 times more for chloramphenicol, while also staying on the eye for longer periods.
"XHA enhances antibiotic retention on the ocular surface, leading to improved treatment efficacy, reduced dosing frequency, and boosted compliance," the researchers said. They noted that XHA also offers its own antibacterial properties, helps heal corneal wounds, and improves tear quality.
Why research dogs?
Dogs were used in the study because their eye structure and diseases closely resemble those of humans, making them a more accurate model than rabbits or rodents commonly used in preclinical testing. The improved retention of antibiotics could reduce how often medications need to be applied, which may lower the risk of drug resistance—an increasing concern in both human and veterinary medicine.
This research could open the door to applying XHA-based delivery methods for other eye treatments, including antivirals, antifungals, and anti-inflammatory drugs.