Transdermal delivery is finding wider therapeutic application but when it comes to making the device stick, every drug has different requirements and considerations. Jeff Purnell, Adhesives Research, explains.
The recognised benefits of the transdermal patch as a viable drug delivery system are driving the development of new forms of transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS). These products can deliver larger compounds such as proteins and small peptides through the stratum corneum. As new transdermal patches broaden in scope and capability, patch product developers are turning to adhesive manufacturers to advance technologies to overcome the complex bonding challenges and clear the way for the next generation of transdermal patch products.
Work to expand the range of use for passive TDDS first began with incorporating chemical penetration enhancers into patch adhesives to decrease barrier resistance of the skin’s stratum corneum layer and allow delivery of higher molecular weight compounds. An adhesive patch may include one or more compounds to increase diffusion, including sulfoxides, alkyl-azones, pyrrolidones, alcohols and alkanols, glycols, surfactants and terpenes.1
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