Recent advances in transdermal drug delivery

Transdermal delivery of pharmacologically active agents has been extensively studied for the past 40 years. Despite the strong efforts, currently, only about 40 products are in market on about 20 drug molecules, due to the requirements that the patch area should be small enough for the patients to feel comfortable, and to the barrier properties of the stratum corneum. Various approaches to overcome the barrier function of skin through physical and chemical means have been broadly studied. The development of an effective transdermal delivery system is dictated by the unique physicochemical property each drug molecule possesses. In this review, we have summarized various physical and chemical approaches for transdermal flux enhancement, including the application of electricity, ultrasound, microneedle and chemical enhancers. Pressure sensitive adhesive such as acrylics, rubbers and silicones are described together with recent developments. Factors affecting dosage form design, particularly for drug in adhesive system, like adhesion and crystallization are also discussed.