Formulation and biopharmaceutical evaluation of a transdermal patch containing aceclofenac

Abstract

To reduce the adverse effects of aceclofenac that accompanied with oral administration of this drug, transdermal patches in the form of drug-in-adhesive (DIA) patches, containing aceclofenac, were formulated. The effect of formulation factors on the skin permeation of the drug and physical properties of the patch were evaluated using excised rat skins. The optimized patch contained 12 % aceclofenac and 20 % lauryl alcohol in DT-2852 as a pressure-sensitive adhesive. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of the DIA patch were determined after application of the transdermal patches to human volunteers. The calculated relative bioavailability of the aceclofenac DIA patch was 18.2 % compared to oral administration of the drug. The findings of this study suggest that transdermal application of aceclofenac can substitute for oral administration of the drug.