Formulation and evaluation of transdermal patches of pantoprazole sodium

Abstract

Objective: The present study was an attempt to develop an alternative dosage form for the existing conventional oral, parenteral proton pump inhibitor (PPI) as transdermal patches for treating peptic ulcers. Methods: Transdermal patches of PPI were prepared using HPMC E5 with PVP K 30 and HPMC E5 with Eudragit L100 polymers in different ratios by a solvent evaporation method. All the formulated patches were subjected to various evaluation parameters such as thickness, folding endurance, weight uniformity, content uniformity, swelling index, percentage moisture content, moisture uptake, surface pH and in vitro release studies. Results: All patches exhibited satisfactory characteristics regarding integrity, flexibility, dispersion of drug, and other quality control parameters. In the in vitro release studies of transdermal patches, formulation F1 showed the prolonged release of drug (98.99 %) for 24 h, which indicates the maximum availability of the drug, and the in vitro skin permeability studies also showed that 96.26 % of drug Pantoprazole sodium permeated through the rat abdominal skin in 24h. The kinetic studies were carried out and it was found that all the formulations follow zero-order and the release mechanism of drugs was found to be diffusion rate-limited, Non-Fickian mechanism which was confirmed by Korsmeyer–Peppas model. Conclusion: This suggests the transdermal application of Pantoprazole sodium holds the promised controlled release of the drug for an extended period of time.