Table 1 The advantages and disadvantages of various transdermal delivery system
From: Recent advances in transdermal drug delivery systems: a review
Method | Advantages | Disadvantages | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Active Delivery | Iontophoresis | • Improving the delivery of polar molecules as well as high molecular weight compounds • Faster and easier administration • Enabling continuous or pulsatile delivery of drug | • Risk of burns if electrodes are used improperly • Difficulty stabilizing the therapeutic agent in the vehicle • Complexity of the drug release system | |
Sonophoresis | • Allows strict control of transdermal diffusion rates • In many cases, greater patient approval • Less risk of systemic absorption • Helpful to break up blood clots • Not immensely sensitizing | • Can be prolonged to administer • Minor tingling, irritation and burning • SC must be unbroken for effective drug penetration | ||
Electroporation | • Highly effective, reproducible, directed drug transfer • Permits rapid termination of drug delivery through termination • Not immensely sensitizing | • Impossible to use on a large area • Can be disturb the cargo if high voltage is uesd • Possibility of cell damage • Relatively nonspecific | ||
Photomechanical waves | • Can improve transfer of molecules across the plasma membrane of cells in vitro without loss of viability • Not appear to cause injury to the viable skin • Do not cause pain or discomfort | • Lack of human clinical data | ||
Microneedle | • Painless administration of the active pharmaceutical ingredient • Faster healing at injection site • No fear of needle • Specific skin area can be targeted for proper drug delivery | • Lower dosing accuracy than hypodermic needles • Penetration depth of various particles depending on the skin layer • Possibility of venous collapse due to repeated injections | ||
Thermal ablation | • Avoid the pain, bleeding, and infection • Can remove SC selectively without damaging deeper tissues • Better control and reproducibility • Low cost and disposable device | • Structural changes in the skin must be evaluated • Existing concerns about the use of extreme temperatures and the logistics of such devices | ||
Passive delivery | Vesicles | • Accomplish sustained drug release behavior • Control the absorption rate through a multilayered structure | • Chemically unstable • Expensive of formulations • Limitation of drug loading | |
Polymeric nanoparticles | • Accomplish targeted and controlled release behavior • High mechanical strength and non-deformability • Can be made of various biodegradable materials • Can be loaded both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs • Can avoid the immune system due to small size | • Difficult to break down • Not enough toxicological assessment has been done • Some processes are difficult to scale up | ||
Nanoemulsion | • Long-term thermodynamic stability • Excellent wettability • High solubilization capacity and physical stability • Possible to formulate it in variety of formulations | • Requires large concentration of emulsifiers • Limited solubilizing capacity for high-melting substances • Variable kinetics of distribution processes and clearance |