Patches for improving gastrointestinal absorption: an overview

The oral route is probably the preferred method for drug administration, owing to simplicity and positive safety aspects. Despite these advantages, this route of administration presents limitations relating to difficult absorption for some molecules, such as peptides, proteins and nucleic acids. Numerous approaches have been proposed to circumvent this drawback and improve the absorption of these active substances, but today, these approaches are often inefficient. Therefore, the use of patches for oral delivery was proposed, realized by using traditional techniques or microfabrication procedures. This review will focus on the rationale underlying the development of these dosage forms, critically discussing their performance and potential.