Researchers Develop Microneedle Patch that Delivers Drugs Faster, More Efficiently

Researchers have now developed a new kind of microneedle, a flexible patch that binds to the skin like a regular household bandage, but pierces into the skin and dissolves. The new patch makes drug delivery faster and more efficient.

The patch is developed by researchers at Virginia Tech - Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and colleagues. The new technology will help lower side-effects in many cases, including cancer therapy and vaccination, according to a news release. 

The idea of a patch with microneedles isn't entirely new. We have had drug patches that dissolve into skin for several years now. However, these conventional skin patches are difficult to design and produce on a large-scale. Also, these patches don't deliver the drug completely, which results in a lot of drug wastage.

The latest drug patch overcomes all these problems; it is soft, malleable and water soluble, which allows for greater control over its shape and size. The patch also delivers the drug efficiently and minimizes wastage.

The technology used to make the patch is based on Particle Replication In Non-wetting Templates (PRINT) developed by Joseph DeSimone from University of North Carolina. PRINT is a powerful nano and micro-molding technique, which enables greater control, aids large-scale production and even reduces manufacturing costs.

"A key advantage to the PRINT process for developing microneedle patches is the ability to create microneedles of one chemical composition and a water-soluble substrate of a chemically dissimilar composition," according to a press release from Virginia Tech. 'In this way, the PRINT microneedles can be engineered to be rigid carriers of drugs that are capable of piercing the skin, while the substrate's matrix can be tuned for flexibility, overcoming the elasticity of the skin."

The study is published in the journal Advanced Materials.

The National Institutes of Health and the University Cancer Research Fund at The University of North Carolina funded the study.