Iontophoretic delivery of active agents conjugated to nanoparticles

• US 20070078375A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TTI Ellebeau, Inc. (Ease Asset Management Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Transcutaneous Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US11/540,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0436 Material of the electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0444 Membrane
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0448 Drug reservoir

Abstract

An iontophoresis device is provided to delivery active agents to a biological interface, the iontophoresis device comprising: an active electrode element operable to provide an electrical potential; and an inner active agent reservoir comprising a plurality of nanoparticles, each nanoparticles being conjugated to a plurality of active agents via respective linkers.

Claims

1. An iontophoresis device for delivering active agents to a biological interface, the iontophoresis device comprising:

an active electrode assembly and a counter electrode assembly, the active electrode assembly including;

an active electrode element operable to provide an electrical potential; and

a first active agent reservoir comprising a plurality of nanoparticles, each nanoparticle being conjugated to one or more active agents via respective linkers.

2. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are metallic.

3. The iontophoresis device of claim 2 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are gold.

4. The iontophoresis device of claim 2 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are silver or titanium oxide.

5. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are solid, hollow shells or have core/shell structures.

6. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles have diameters of about 10-500 nm.

7. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are coupled to the respective linkers by metal-sulfur bonds.

8. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the linkers are coupled to the respective active agents by carboxylate ester linkages.

9. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein the linker is a poly(ethylene glycol) derivative.

10. The iontophoresis device of claim 9 wherein the poly(ethylene glycol) derivative has a molecular weight of about 500-2000 Daltons.

11. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are charged.

12. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are electrically neutral.

13. The iontophoresis device of claim 1, further comprising:

an electrolyte reservoir comprising an electrolyte composition; and

an inner ion selective membrane positioned between said electrolyte reservoir and said the first active agent reservoir.

14. The iontophoresis device of claim 13, further comprising:

an outermost ion selective membrane having an outer surface, the outer surface being proximate the biological interface when in use.

15. The iontophoresis device of claim 14, further comprising:

additional active agents cached in the outermost ion selective membrane.

16. The iontophoresis device of claim 15 wherein the additional active agents are conjugated to respective additional nanoparticles.

17. The iontophoresis device of claim 13, further comprising:

further active agents deposited on the outer surface of the outermost ion selective membrane.

18. The iontophoresis device of claim 17 wherein the further active agents are conjugated to respective further nanoparticles.

19. The iontophoresis device of claim 1 wherein the active agents can be released by enzymatic cleavage following the delivery.

20. The iontophoresis device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more microneedles.

21. A method for transdermal administration of an active agent by iontophoresis, comprising:

positioning an active electrode assembly and a counter electrode assembly of an iontophoresis device on a biological interface of a subject, the active electrode assembly including;

an active electrode element operable to provide an electrical potential; and

a first active agent reservoir comprising a plurality of nanoparticles, each nanoparticle being conjugated to one or more active agents via respective linkers; and

applying a sufficient amount of current to administer a therapeutically effective amount of the active agents conjugated to the nanoparticles in the subject for a limited period of time.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are metallic.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein at least some of the nanoparticles are gold.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the nanoparticles are coupled to the linkers by metal-sulfur bonds.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the linkers are coupled to the active agents by carboxylate ester linkages.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the linker is a poly(ethylene glycol) derivative.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the nanoparticles remain conjugated to the respective active agents during the transdermal administration.