Current status and future potential of transdermal drug delivery.
The past twenty five years have seen an explosion in the creation and discovery of new medicinal agents. Related innovations in drug delivery systems have not only enabled the successful implementation of many of these novel pharmaceuticals, but have also permitted the development of new medical treatments with existing drugs. The creation of transdermal delivery systems has been one of the most important of these innovations, offering a number of advantages over the oral route. In this article, we discuss the already significant impact this field has made on the administration of various pharmaceuticals; explore limitations of the current technology; and discuss methods under exploration for overcoming these limitations and the challenges ahead.
Prausnitz
Mark R
MR
School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA. mark.prausnitz@chbe.gatech.edu
Mitragotri
Samir
S
Langer
Robert
R
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D018274:Electroporation; D005079:Excipients; D006801:Humans; D007478:Iontophoresis; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009339:Needles; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D014465:Ultrasonics
D005079:Excipients