We have developed a versatile tool for the delivery of inhibitors of carbonic anhydrase II, which allows modification of a hydrophobic drug with either a water-solubilizing, photolabile cage or a hydrophobic, photolabile cage. The former mask is useful for direct delivery of hydrophobic molecules in an aqueous prodrug form. The latter may find application if delivery from a surface is desirable. In our system, where the target enzyme is found in the eye, both approaches may be useful for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs having subnanomolar dissociation constants from the enzyme.