POS8-1656
Anti-VEGF Encapsulated Sustained-Release Microspheres for Treating Subfoveal Choroidal Neovascularization
Topic
S8. Frontiers of Functional Polymers in Biology and Medicine
When and Where
Oct 1, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Jinkee HONG
Ki Su KIM
Presenter(s)
Kangmin Kim (Sungkyunkwan University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), characterized by subfoveal choroidal neovascularization, is heavily dependent on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. To develop an effective therapeutic strategy, we designed sustained-release microspheres encapsulating the anti-VEGF drug, rivoceranib, using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as a polymeric excipient. The microspheres were successfully fabricated via an oil-in-water (o/w) single emulsion and solvent evaporation method. Physicochemical characterization revealed optimal encapsulation efficiency, compatibility, and a stable sustained drug release profile over an extended period of up to 672 hours. Importantly, our in vivo experiments demonstrated that these PLGA/rivoceranib microspheres significantly inhibited the progression of neovascularization in a laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mouse model. These findings highlight that formulating rivoceranib into sustained-release microspheres serves as a highly promising drug repositioning approach for the treatment of wet AMD
