World’s first ibuprofen patch delivers pain relief directly through skin

An ibuprofen patch that delivers the drug directly through skin to exactly where it is needed at a consistent dose rate, has been invented in the UK. A team from the University of Warwick found a way to incorporate significant amounts of ibuprofen (up to 30% weight) into the polymer matrix that sticks the patch to the patient’s skin with the drug then being delivered at a steady rate over up to 12 hours.It opens the way for the development of a range of long-acting over-the-counter pain relief products that can be used to treat common painful conditions such as arthritis and chronic back pain without the need to take potentially damaging doses of the drug orally.

Key features of the new patch, created with Medherant, are claimed to be:

• It remains highly tacky so sticks well to skin even when the drug load reaches levels as high as 30% of the weight/volume of the patch. The drug load made possible by this new technology can be 5–10 times than that found in some currently used medical patches and gels.
• High drug load and a consistent drug release profile means the patches outperform other patches and gels in their ability to deliver a consistent and significant dose of drug over a prolonged time from a small patch.
• Although it sticks well, it is easy and comfortable to remove.

“Many commercial patches surprisingly don’t contain any pain relief agents at all, they simply soothe the body by a warming effect,” explains Prof David Haddleton, who is involved in the work. “Our technology now means that we can for the first time produce patches that contain effective doses of active ingredients such as ibuprofen for which no patches currently exist. Also, we can improve the drug loading and stickiness of patches containing other active ingredients to improve patient comfort and outcome.”

“Our success in developing this breakthrough patch design isn’t limited to ibuprofen; we have also had great results testing the patch with methyl salicylate (used in liniments, gels and some leading commercial patches). We believe that many other over the counter and prescription drugs can exploit our technology and we are seeking opportunities to test a much wider range of drugs and treatments within our patch.”

Whilst it’s certainly exciting news, the end product won’t be available for a couple of years, according to the team at the University of Warwick.

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