Application of methyl methacrylate copolymers to the development of transdermal or loco-regional drug delivery systems.
BACKGROUND
Methyl methacrylate copolymers (Eudragit®) have been exploited to develop transdermal patches, medicated plasters (hereinafter patches) and, more recently, film-forming sprays, microsponges and nanoparticles intended to be applied on the skin.


METHODS
The article reviews the information regarding the application of Eudragits in the design and development of these dosage forms focusing on the impact of formulative variables on the skin drug penetration and the patch adhesive properties.


CONCLUSIONS
Eudragits combined with a large amount of plasticizers are used to design the pressure-sensitive adhesives, specialized materials used in the patch development. They have to assure the drug skin penetration and the contact with the skin. Most of the studies mainly deal with the former aspect. The authors used a Eudragit type opportunely plasticized to merely investigate the in vitro or in vivo skin permeability of a loaded drug. However, the summa of these data evidenced that a strict connection between the matrix hydrophilicity and drug penetration probably exists. The criticisms of adhesion are addressed in a limited number of papers reporting data on technological properties, namely tack, shear adhesion and peel adhesion, while the structural data of the Eudragit adhesives, rheology and surface free energy are not described, excepting the case of Eudragit E. Among other applications, micro- and nanosystems exploiting the ionizable nature of some Eudragits can offer novel opportunities to develop pH-sensitive drug delivery systems suitable for triggering its release onto the skin.
Università degli Studi di Milano, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Via Giuseppe Colombo, 71 - 20133 Milano , Italy +39 02 503 246 ; +39 02 503 24657 ; francesco.cilurzo@unimi.it.
Francesco
F
Cilurzo
Francesca
F
Selmin
Chiara G M
CG
Gennari
Luisa
L
Montanari
Paola
P
Minghetti
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D012869:Skin Absorption / Q000187:drug effects*; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D057968:Transdermal Patch
D000336:Aerosols; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; C038300:methylmethacrylate-methacrylic acid copolymer
Eudragit; methyl methacrylate copolymers; microsponges; nanoparticles; patch; solubility parameter; topical spray; transdermal drug delivery systems