Transdermal administration optimisation: Increasing naproxen sodium efficacy in a topical hydrogel formulation

The transdermal drug delivery (TDDS) system is a promising alternative to conventional oral administration, particularly for pain management medications like naproxen sodium. The main challenge in developing a TDDS is overcoming the many barriers the skin poses. These include its physical characteristics, such as its thickness and the presence of hair follicles; biochemical characteristics, such as the composition of the stratum corneum; and immunological characteristics, such as the presence of immune cells in the skin. [53] Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a medical disorder characterized by an abnormal immune response. Symptoms include joint swelling, redness, chronic inflammation, discomfort, and decreased strength. The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented an increased global prevalence of arthritis among women (18%) compared to men (9.6%). [54] This study presents a novel approach within the Transdermal Drug Delivery System (TDDS) field by combining innovative methods. This approach incorporates a naproxen microemulsion formulated as an Emulgel, 30% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and facilitated by dermaroller application. This study investigated the enhancement of skin permeation for the lipophilic drug naproxen (5%). We achieved this by incorporating a naproxen microemulsion containing 2% lecithin (C10NE) into a 10% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hydrogel formulation (Emulgel). A separate formulation (C10ND 30%) was also prepared by adding 30% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to the 10% HPMC hydrogel containing Naproxen. The study evaluates the fluxes of different hydrogel formulations containing Naproxen over a 24-hour, administered via dermaroller application, and assesses their penetration through pig skin using the Franz diffusion method. Statistical analysis reveals a notable increase in the transdermal penetration of Naproxen (5%) hydrogel formulations on pig skin and cellulose membranes. A comparative study between a commercially available Naproxen gel (MG) and formulations coded as C10NE and C10ND 30% demonstrates an approximate 25% increase in transdermal penetration for both coded formulations (p < 0.001). Further comparison with a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hydrogel (C10N) containing Naproxen indicates a threefold enhancement in transdermal penetration for formulations coded as C10NE and C10ND 30% (p < 0.0001), compared to both the plain HPMC (10%) (C10N) hydrogel formulation and a commercially available gel xvii formulation (MG). These findings suggest that the C10NE and C10ND 30% formulations hold promise for enhancing the efficacy of Naproxen sodium.In conclusion, this research is a significant step forward in the field of transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS). It not only presents a novel approach but also proposes a viable strategy for improving the therapeutic efficacy of Naproxen sodium and potentially other drugs across various therapeutic applications. Our study also observes increased (5%) Naproxen fluxes with the chemical enhancer dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (30%) compared to existing market formulations, further highlighting the potential of our approach.