Transdermal systems deliver drugs / actives through the skin into the bloodstream, making then easy to administer. The protective function of human skin imposes physicochemical limitations to the type of permeant that can traverse the barrier. For a drug to be delivered passively via the skin it needs to have adequate lipophilicity and also a molecular weight <500 Da.

These requirements have limited the number of commercially available products based on transdermal or dermal delivery. Various strategies have emerged over recent years to optimize delivery and these can be categorized into passive and active methods. The passive approach entails the optimization of formulation or drug carrying vehicle to increase skin permeability.

Passive methods, however do not greatly improve the permeation of drugs with molecular weights >500 Da. In contrast active methods that normally involve physical or mechanical methods of enhancing delivery have been shown to be generally superior. Improved delivery has been shown for drugs of differing lipophilicity and molecular weight including proteins, peptides, and oligonucletides using electrical methods (iontophoresis, electroporation), mechanical (abrasion, ablation, perforation), and other energy-related techniques such as ultrasound and needless injection.

We are currently working to exploit this technology for a variety of compounds for both fast acting and sustained release applications. Examples of currently marketed trasdermal sustained release patches are estrogen, birth control, and nicotine patches. Front Line's market report discusses advantages, the market and offers strategic opportunities for these delivery systems. The growth rate for transdermal drug delivery systems is expected to increase 12% annually through 2007. Worldwide market revenues are at $3 Billion with the US at 56%, Europe at 32% and Japan at 7%.

MIGAMI management and advisors are in the process developing a health and beauty care product line (day therapy, night therapy, anti-aging, anti-oxidant, after-shave, cleansing bar, acne treatment, anti-itch, etc.).