Transdermal drug delivery device
First Claim
1. A flexible and compliant medical device for the transdermal administration of testosterone through intact skin at sensitive body locations, said device being from 2-10 mils thick and having an extension modulus at 15% elongation in at least one direction in the range of 1000 to 15,000 gm/cm2, a stress decay from 15% elongation at 5 minutes in the range of 25-45%, a 2 cm wide strip of said device requiring an elongation force of from 30-300 gm to produce said 15% elongation, said device comprising, in combination;
- (a) a testosterone reservoir comprisign testosterone dissolved in ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer having a vinyl acetate content in the range of 40-60%, said reservoir having a body contacting surface through which agent is released to the skin and a body distal surface opposite said body contacting surface, the body contacting surface of said reservoir having a tack in the range of about 100-300 g/cm2 at 35°
C.;
(b) fibrous reinforcing means imbedded in said reservoir to a depth that does not penetrate through said body contacting surface and does not submerge said reinforcing means in said reservoir, said imbedded fibrous reinforcing means forming the body distal surface of said device;
said fibrous reinforcing means being non-elastically deformable in at least one direction;
whereby the body distal surface of said device retains a fibrous texture and said device is capable of non-adhesively clinging to the skin at sensitive body locations in testosterone transmitting relationship thereto.
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Abstract
A medical device for the transdermal delivery of an active agent through sensitive intact skin is provided. The device comprises a matrix containing the drug having reinforcing means, preferably in the form of a fabric, embedded in the upper surface of the matrix. The matrix is formed of an agent permeable material which is tacky but does not adhesively bond to the skin. The device is sufficiently flexible and deformable that the combination of tackiness, flexibility, and deformation permits the device to be maintained in agent transmitting relationship upon skin at such sensitive areas as the scrotum, labia, breast, or penis, for example. In certain embodiments, the skin distal surface is provided with a layer of an agent impermeable material to reduce transfer of the agent from the patient to others.
59 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A flexible and compliant medical device for the transdermal administration of testosterone through intact skin at sensitive body locations, said device being from 2-10 mils thick and having an extension modulus at 15% elongation in at least one direction in the range of 1000 to 15,000 gm/cm2, a stress decay from 15% elongation at 5 minutes in the range of 25-45%, a 2 cm wide strip of said device requiring an elongation force of from 30-300 gm to produce said 15% elongation, said device comprising, in combination;
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(a) a testosterone reservoir comprisign testosterone dissolved in ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer having a vinyl acetate content in the range of 40-60%, said reservoir having a body contacting surface through which agent is released to the skin and a body distal surface opposite said body contacting surface, the body contacting surface of said reservoir having a tack in the range of about 100-300 g/cm2 at 35°
C.;(b) fibrous reinforcing means imbedded in said reservoir to a depth that does not penetrate through said body contacting surface and does not submerge said reinforcing means in said reservoir, said imbedded fibrous reinforcing means forming the body distal surface of said device;
said fibrous reinforcing means being non-elastically deformable in at least one direction;
whereby the body distal surface of said device retains a fibrous texture and said device is capable of non-adhesively clinging to the skin at sensitive body locations in testosterone transmitting relationship thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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- 25. A method for testosterone replacement in human males which comprises applying a testosterone releasing delivery device comprising a testosterone containing polymeric matrix to the male genitalia and maintaining said device in testosterone transmitting relationship thereto for a least about 8 hours.
- 27. A method for testosterone replacement in human males which comprises applying a testosterone releasing delivery device comprising a testosterone containing polymeric matrix to the scrotum and maintaining said device in testosterone transmitting relationship thereto for a least about 8 hours.
- 28. A method for testosterone replacement in the human male which comprises applying a stretchable testosterone releasing delivery device to the male genitalia by non-elastically stretching the delivery device about the genitalia whereby the device conforms to and clings to the skin of the genitalia and maintaining said device in testosterone transmitting relationship thereto for a least 8 hours.
- 32. The method for testosterone replacement in human males whose testosterone blood levels are below those of normal males which comprises applying a testosterone releasing delivery device to the genitalia of a human male, maintaining said device in testosterone transmitting relationship to the genitalia during an administration period of at least about 8 hours, and delivering testosterone to the male from said delivery device at a varying rate over said administration period, said varying rate being selected to produce testosterone blood levels which approximate the circadian pattern of testosterone blood levels exhibited by a normal male.
Specification