Microneedle arrays as transdermal and intradermal drug delivery systems: Materials science, manufacture and commercial development

Transdermal drug delivery offers a number of advantages for the patient, due not only its non-invasive and convenient nature, but also factors such as avoidance of first pass metabolism and prevention of gastrointestinal degradation. It has been demonstrated that microneedle arrays can increase the number of compounds amenable to transdermal delivery by penetrating the skin's protective barrier, the stratum corneum, and creating a pathway for drug permeation to the dermal tissue below. Microneedles have been extensively investigated in recent decades for drug and vaccine delivery as well as minimally invasive patient monitoring/diagnosis. This review focuses on a range of critically important aspects of…

• DF
  Directorate for Biological Sciences
• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Award: MC_PC_15035
• BA
  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

  Awards: BB/K020234/1, BB/K020234/1