Complete Pharmacokinetics of Topical Analgesics
The Project
Topical application of analgesics for lower back pain offers advantages such as site-specific application and lower daily doses. However, there is a lack of data showing the deep penetration of the active ingredients into the muscle. The client would like to determine the time-resolved drug profile of lidocaine using a novel topical delivery system (TDS or patch) to deliver the drug through the dermis and subcutis into the muscle tissue.
Our Role in the Project
HEALTH carried out a preclinical open flow microperfusion (OFM) study using a porcine model, which monitored drug concentrations in the dermis, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and muscle at application sites of a TDS containing lidocaine or diclofenac.
OFM data provided a comprehensive and extremely detailed insight into all relevant lidocaine transport pathways and clearly showed for the first time that topically applied lidocaine can actually reach the deeper muscle tissue via the local diffusion mechanism and not - as previously assumed - via the bloodstream.
Research groups
Downloads
Customer/Funding Organization
Scilex Pharmaceuticals
Project Partner
Medizinische Universität Graz
Project Details
Birngruber, T., Vought, K., Schwingenschuh, S., Reisenegger, P., Maibach, H., & Lissin, D. (2023). Topical Delivery Systems Effectively Transport Analgesics to Areas of Localized Pain via Direct Diffusion. Pharmaceutics, 15(11), 2563. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15112563
