Pharmaceutical industry transdermal drug delivery

The microneedle concept was first proposed as a technique for transdermal drug delivery in the 1970s [1], and the recent advances in the microelectronics industry have provided the technical capability to make microneedles into reality. The first microneedle experiments were reported in 1998 [2], Since then, there has been a rapid increase of interest in the field. Much of this effort concerns the development of novel needle fabrication technologies by adopting various needle designs and materials for use in biological and pharmaceutical applications. 

Application of SCF is now the subject of increasing interest especially in the pharmaceutical industry and there are three aims increasing bioavailability of poorly soluble molecules designing sustained-release formulations and formulation of active agents for new types of drug delivery that are less invasive than parental delivery (oral, pulmonary, transdermal). The most complex challenge is related to therapeutic delivery, as it is extremely difficult to obtain a satisfactory therapeutic delivery effect due to biomolecule instability and very short half-life in vivo. 

The exceptional physical, functional, and nutritional properties of organogels have attracted the attention of the food and pharmaceutical industries. Organogels are used for delivery of drugs, foods, nutraceutical and many other pharmaceutical ingredients through various routes such as oral, parenteral, transdermal, topical, etc. 

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