Ibuprofen (Brufen) patch developed
Most of the readers must have taken Ibuprofen (Brufen) to relieve pain, lessen swelling and to reduce fever often in combination with Paracetamol. Some of you who took Ibuprofen must have also experienced side-effects like burning in the stomach. Now no more.
A patch has been developed by researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK, led by research chemist Prof. David Haddleton that can deliver the drug at a consistent dose rate without the side effects linked to the oral form.
The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened the warning labels for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen. The new labels warn that NSAIDs increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, especially for those who take it for a long time.
‘Many commercial patches surprisingly don’t contain any pain relief agents at all,’ says Prof. Haddleton, ‘they simply soothe the body by a warming effect.’
The researchers while working with a Warwick spinout company called Medherant, were able to embed sufficient amounts of ibuprofen into a polymer matrix that can be patched to the patient’s skin, enabling the drug to be release delivered at a steady rate over a 12-hour period.
The researchers say their patch paves the way for other novel long-acting pain relief products that can be used to treat common conditions – such as back pain, neuralgia and arthritis – without taking potentially damaging oral doses of the drug.
Prof. Haddleton explains that, for the first time, they can “produce patches that contain effective doses of active ingredients such as ibuprofen for which no patches currently exist.”
He adds that they are able to “improve the drug loading and stickiness of patches containing other active ingredients to improve patient comfort and outcome.”
The team notes that the drug load made possible by their new technology is 5-10 times that of current medical patches and gels. Furthermore, because the patch adheres well to skin, it stays put even when the drug load reaches levels as high as 30% of the weight or volume of the patch.
Other potential uses for the patch
There are currently a number of ibuprofen gels available, but the researchers say it is difficult to control dosage with these gels, and they are not convenient to apply.
“There are only a limited number of existing polymers that have the right characteristics to be used for this type of transdermal patches – that will stick to the skin and not leave residues when being easily removed,” says Prof. Haddleton, who adds:
“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.”
Medherant CEO Nigel Davis says they anticipate their new patch will be on the market in around 2 years. He adds that they “can see considerable opportunities in working with pharmaceutical companies to develop innovative products using our next-generation transdermal drug-delivery platform.”
