Fabrication and Characterization of Benzhydroxamic Acid-Loaded Dissolving Microneedles Using a 3D-Printing-Assisted...

Dissolving microneedles offers a minimally invasive approach for transdermal drug delivery by facilitating drug transport across the stratum corneum while overcoming several limitations associated with conventional routes of administration. Benzhydroxamic acid has demonstrated biochemical and computational evidence associated with inflammatory and pain-related pathways; however, its incorporation into a dissolving microneedle platform has not been extensively explored.This study aimed to fabricate and characterize benzhydroxamic acid-loaded dissolving microneedles using a 3D-printing-assisted mold fabrication approach for transdermal drug delivery. A stereolithography-based 3D-printed master mold was used to prepare a reverse polydimethylsiloxane mold. Benzhydroxamic acid-loaded dissolving microneedles were fabricated using a PVA/PVP polymeric matrix and evaluated for their physicochemical, mechanical, insertional, and drug-delivery characteristics. The developed microneedles exhibited shear-thinning behavior, uniform morphology, and satisfactory mechanical properties, with a compression force of 3.5 ± 0.01 N/needle and tensile strength of 3.84 ± 0.21 MPa. The formulation demonstrated a drug-loading efficiency of 94.6 ± 0.35% and effective insertion into the Parafilm^® M skin-simulant model. In vitro drug release reached 97.24% over 24 h, while ex vivo skin permeation reached 94.83% over 24 h. FTIR and XRD analyses indicated successful incorporation of benzhydroxamic acid into the PVA/PVP matrix without major evidence of drug-polymer incompatibility. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating benzhydroxamic acid into a PVA/PVP dissolving microneedle platform using a 3D-printing-assisted mold fabrication approach. The developed system exhibited suitable physicochemical and mechanical characteristics, efficient drug loading, effective insertion, and satisfactory in vitro and ex vivo drug-delivery performance, supporting its potential as a transdermal drug delivery platform.