Sustained release biodegradable intracanalicular inserts comprising a hydrogel and cyclosporine

A method of treating an ocular disease in a human subject in need thereof, the method comprising inserting into the canaliculus of the subject a sustained release biodegradable intracanalicular insert comprising a hydrogel and cyclosporine, wherein the cyclosporine is in the form of particles having d50 value of less than about 50 μm as measured by laser diffraction and wherein the cyclosporine particles are dispersed within the hydrogel, wherein the hydrogel comprises a polymer network comprising crosslinked polymer units that are identical or different which are polyethylene glycol units having two to ten arms, wherein the arms of the polyethylene glycol units are connected to a core molecule of pentaerythritol, the polymer network is formed by reacting an electrophilic group-containing multi-arm polymer precursor with a nucleophilic group-containing cross-linking agent, the electrophilic group is an N-hydroxysuccinimidyl (NHS) ester group, the nucleophilic group-containing crosslinking agent contains an amine group, wherein the ocular disease is selected from dry eye, blepharitis, allergic conjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis or vernal keratoconjunctivitis.