title: Prospects of iontophoresis in cardiovascular drug delivery.
abstract: Clinical benefits, industry interest, regulatory precedence, and strong market potential have made transdermal research the fastest growth area in drug delivery. As most drugs permeate poorly through skin, a major challenge is achieving the therapeutic level by enhancement of permeation rate. Iontophoresis, utilizing a minimal amount of current, is found to affect the skin permeation process drastically. Ideally suited for protein drugs, attempts have been made to utilize the technology for accelerating the low-molecular-weight drugs for chronic administration. However, because of the difficulty associated with the energy supply, commercialization was not feasible until recent times. Fortunately, the unprecedented growth of microelectronics has bridged this lacuna and brought the technology right into limelight. This article analyses the advantages of electrically assisted drug delivery in relation to passive permeation, with special reference to some cardiovascular drugs, for which there is already a demand in the market.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, NSHM College of Pharmaceutical Technology, NSHM Knowledge Campus, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Bijaya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, K.L.E.S's College of Pharmacy, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Dhanalakshmi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Iyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Anroop B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Harsha N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Sree
keywords: Cardiovascular; flux; iontophoresis; passive permeation; transdermal