Active Transdermal Drug Delivery System Eases Pain

A novel iontophoretic drug-delivery system (IDDS) could effectively reduce pain and eliminate the need for needle use by administering drugs through the skin with the aid of a mild electric current.

IDDS delivery technology offers superior penetration and dosing control, fast onset of action, and long duration of effect. The system could offer many potential benefits, such as reduced pain and elimination of potential needle-stick injuries to patients and staff. Needle contamination risk is also avoided, as well as risk of tissue distortion associated with needles; gastrointestinal distress than can occur with oral delivery is eliminated. Use of the system also obviates elderly compliance issues such as dementia; difficulty in swallowing pills, cooperation, and allows controlled maintenance of drug blood plasma levels after initial administration. The delivery patch itself is small and compact (about the size of key chain scanner card) and drug penetration is provided to a depth of at least 6 mm. The new IDDS is under development by Dharma Therapeutics (Seattle, WA, USA), who is currently completing Phase 2 clinical trials, involving delivery of topical anesthesia by administering lidocaine and epinephrine through the skin. Pivotal Phase 3 trials are scheduled to begin in early 2010.

"We are very excited about this product and the improvements over Dharma's prototype evaluated in earlier clinical trials,” said Paul Sleath, president and CEO of Dharma Therapeutics. "Our current design is very user friendly and can be manufactured cost efficiently at commercial scale. We believe our product will be highly attractive to consumers, as it has been designed to meet the market demand for a low cost, fast onset local anesthesia product.”

Transdermal technology has been used to deliver drugs passively through the skin for many years, and has enjoyed commercial success in a number of fields including pain control, alleviating motion sickness, and smoking cessation (a notable example of passive delivery is the nicotine patch). However, passive transdermal delivery has limitations with regard to depth, rate and dose of delivery, variability in delivery from subject to subject, and the types of drugs that can be administered. In contrast, so-called "active" transdermal delivery technologies (such as IDDS) have the potential to deliver a wider range of drugs in a controlled, reproducible manner, and at higher doses than possible with passive delivery.

Related Links:
Dharma Therapeutics