Development of Transdermal Ondansetron Hydrochloride for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

Purpose: To to develop and evaluate matrix-type ondansetron hydrochloride (OS) transdermal patch for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Methods: Transdermal patches were prepared by solvent casting method using ethyl cellulose and polyvinyl pyrrolidone as matrix materials, and dibutyl phthalate and dibutyl sebacate as plasticizers. The formulations were evaluated for patch thickness, tensile strength, moisture content, water absorption capacity and drug content. In vitro drug release and permeation of the patches were determined using a Franz diffusion cell. Results: the tensile strength of all the formulations was in the range from 6.09 to 9.85 Mpa indicating that the [patches were strong. Maximum drug release in 8 h for dibutyl phthalate DBP and dibutyl sebacate DBS patches was 38.9 (DB6) and 53.4 % (DS3), respectively, which are significantly (p < 0.01) higher than the lowest values of 17.8 (for DB1) and 35.0 % for (DS5), respectively. Drug release rate was 1.89 and 3.93 μg/h/cm, respectively with DS2 and DB2 showing the highest permeation rate of 5.39 μg/h/cm. Patches containing DBP followed Higuchi release model while patches formulated with DBS followed first order release kinetics. Conclusion: Ondansetron matrix-type transdermal patches formulated with suitable amounts of chemical enhancers for better patient compliance are feasible.