Do you have a sore neck, back, chronic aching joints or muscle pain? This new Ibuprofen patch, in development by the University of Warwick and Medherant (a company that creates bioadhesives) is going to be the first of its kind. While there are a handful of topical, anti-inflammatory gels on the market, they are messy, inconsistent at dosage control, and inconvenient to apply.
This is a huge breakthrough. Why? Professor David Haddleton, who leads the project, says,
“Many commercial patches surprisingly don’t contain any pain relief agents at all, they simply soothe the body by a warming effect. Our technology now means that we can for the first time produce patches that contain effective doses of active ingredients such as ibuprofen for which no patches currently exist. Also, we can improve the drug loading and stickiness of patches containing other active ingredients to improve patient comfort and outcome.”
Here’s the benefits of the patch:
- The patch can hold 5-10x more medication than existing patches or gels.
- When applied, it can release the medication over a 12 hour period – a big advantage for those with chronic pain that need a steady, ongoing dosage of meds.
- With its transparent, thin and flexible design is more aesthetically appealing to wear.
- It has special “highly tacky” polymer adhesive will help the patch stay attached to the skin better and longer and when removed, not leave residue.
So when will it be available? Unfortunately not for another two years. But if you ask me, all good things come to those who wait.