Formulation for transfollicular drug administration: some recent advances

The percutaneous administration of drug products is of current therapeutic interest, mainly with regard to reduction of hepatic metabolism and systemic toxicity, and delivery to specific sites. Hair follicles and sebaceous glands can be privileged pathways for some molecules or formulations, which enter faster into these shunts than they do through the stratum corneum. The aim of this paper is to outline some examples of recent formulation methodologies that allow administration of a drug product through the follicular pathway (1) when the common, localized diseases of the pilosebaceous unit could benefit from specific delivery; and (2) to shunt the stratum corneum barrier.