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Related Concept Videos

Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems01:18

Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems

Transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS) enable the controlled release of drugs across the skin into systemic circulation. They are particularly advantageous for drugs with short half-lives or narrow therapeutic indices, as they maintain consistent plasma concentrations and reduce the risk of subtherapeutic or toxic levels.TDDS are categorized into monolithic, reservoir, and mixed systems. Monolithic systems embed the drug in a polymer matrix, where diffusion governs release. Reservoir systems...
Drug Delivery: Overview01:16

Drug Delivery: Overview

The selection of a drug's delivery route depends upon its physicochemical properties, including lipid or water solubility and ionization, as well as the therapeutic requirement, such as immediate or sustained effect. These routes can be divided into three primary categories: enteral, parenteral, and topical.
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the gastrointestinal...
Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes01:22

Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes

Drug delivery methods like oral inhalation, nasal sprays, transdermal patches, eye drops, intravitreal injection,  and rectal administration provide localized effects with reduced toxicity.
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs through the...
Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route01:29

Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route

The parenteral route is a critical method of drug administration. It delivers compounds directly into the systemic circulation and bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. This approach is particularly advantageous for drugs that exhibit poor absorption or instability when administered orally.
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
Drug Delivery: Enteral Route01:18

Drug Delivery: Enteral Route

The enteral drug administration involves three primary routes: oral, sublingual, and buccal. Oral ingestion is the most prevalent, safe, economical, and convenient method for drug administration. However, it has certain drawbacks, including limited absorption due to the drug's low water solubility or poor membrane permeability, possible emesis from GI mucosa irritation, destruction of drugs by digestive enzymes or low gastric pH, and irregular absorption along with food or other drugs.
Drugs in...
Non-Oral Extravascular Drug Absorption Routes01:15

Non-Oral Extravascular Drug Absorption Routes

Non-oral extravascular routes, which encompass sublingual, buccal, topical, intramuscular, and inhalation methods, primarily utilize passive diffusion to transport drugs into the systemic circulation. The absorption rates and effectiveness of these routes depend on the drug's physicochemical properties, as well as the patient's anatomical and pathophysiological state.
Lipophilic drugs that are stable at salivary pH (6) and exhibit minimal binding to the oral mucosa are absorbed more effectively...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Visualizing and Quantifying Pharmaceutical Compounds within Skin using Coherent Raman Scattering Imaging
11:07

Visualizing and Quantifying Pharmaceutical Compounds within Skin using Coherent Raman Scattering Imaging

Published on: November 24, 2021

Transdermal drug delivery.

Mark R Prausnitz1, Robert Langer

  • 1School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Dr., Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0100, USA. prausnitz@gatech.edu

Nature Biotechnology
|November 11, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Transdermal drug delivery systems are advancing beyond traditional methods. Novel strategies like microneedles and thermal ablation are expanding transdermal delivery for macromolecules and vaccines.

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Development, Characterization, and Evaluation of CAGE-based Ionic Liquid Systems for Transdermal Delivery

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Pharmaceutics
  • Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

  • Transdermal drug delivery offers an alternative to oral and injectable routes but has limitations.
  • First-generation systems are established for small, lipophilic, low-dose drugs.
  • Second- and third-generation systems aim to overcome skin barrier challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evolution and advancements in transdermal drug delivery systems.
  • To highlight the potential of novel enhancement strategies for broader drug delivery applications.
  • To discuss the clinical progress of next-generation transdermal technologies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of first-, second-, and third-generation transdermal delivery system technologies.
  • Analysis of chemical enhancers, ultrasound, iontophoresis, microneedles, thermal ablation, and electroporation.
  • Examination of clinical trial progress for macromolecule and vaccine delivery.

Main Results:

  • First-generation systems are clinically used for specific drug types.
  • Second-generation systems (e.g., iontophoresis) offer enhanced control and functionality.
  • Third-generation systems utilize microneedles and thermal ablation for macromolecules and vaccines, with ongoing clinical trials.

Conclusions:

  • Transdermal drug delivery is evolving with innovative technologies.
  • Second- and third-generation strategies are expanding the scope of transdermal applications.
  • These advancements position transdermal delivery for a greater impact on medical treatments.