Abstract
Although transdermal drug delivery systems (DDS) offer numerous benefits for patients, including the avoidance of both gastric irritation and first-pass metabolism effect, as well as improved patient compliance, only a limited number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can be delivered accordingly. Microneedles (MNs) represent one of the most promising concepts for effective transdermal drug delivery that penetrate the protective skin barrier in a minimally invasive and painless manner. The first MNs were produced in the 90s, and since then, this field has been continually evolving. Therefore, different manufacturing methods, not only for MNs but also MN molds, are introduced, which allows for the cost-effective production of MNs for drug and vaccine delivery and even diagnostic/monitoring purposes. The focus of this review is to give a brief overview of MN characteristics, material composition, as well as the production and commercial development of MN-based systems.
Highlights
The application of various chemical agents on the skin dates back thousands of years, when they were applied to treat diseases, protect the skin, or for cosmetic reasons [1]
The skin was considered as an impermeable membrane until 1893, when Bourget proved that the topical application of salicylic acid could treat acute rheumatoid arthritis [3,4]
At the beginning of the 20th century, lipophilic agents were discovered to increase skin permeability, and using Wolf’s tape stripping technique, Blank concluded that the stratum corneum (SC) represents the main barrier for the penetration and permeation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) [5,6]
Summary
The application of various chemical agents on the skin dates back thousands of years, when they were applied to treat diseases, protect the skin, or for cosmetic reasons [1]. The skin was considered as an impermeable membrane until 1893, when Bourget proved that the topical application of salicylic acid could treat acute rheumatoid arthritis [3,4]. As a drug delivery route to the systemic circulation, was neither commercially nor scientifically employed until 1954, when it was shown that 2% nitroglycerin ointment could control angina pectoris. This ointment was the first commercial preparation formulated for the transdermal delivery of API into the systemic circulation [4,7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
