Methotrexate delivering microneedle patches for improved therapeutic efficacy in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Arthritis is an inflammatory disorder that leads to degeneration and swelling in the joints thereby severely affecting mobility. Till date, a complete cure for this disorder remains elusive. Administration of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs has not proved effective owing to poor retention of drugs at the site of inflammation in the joints. In most cases, lack of adherence to the therapeutic regimen further aggravates the condition. Localized administration of the drugs through intra-articular injections is highly invasive and painful. A possible solution to overcome these issues will be to ensure sustained release of the anti-arthritic drug at the site of inflammation through a minimally invasive method. The present work focuses on the development of a microneedle patch for localized and minimally invasive delivery of methotrexate to arthritic joints in guinea pig model. The microneedle patch was found to elicit minimal immune response and ensured sustained release of the drug that was manifested through faster restoration of mobility and a distinct reduction in inflammatory and rheumatoid markers at the joints when compared to untreated and those treated through conventional hypodermic injections. Our results demonstrate the promise of microneedle-based platform for an effective arthritic therapy.