Preparation and the Biopharmaceutical Evaluation for the Metered Dose Transdermal Spray of Dexketoprofen

The objective of the present work was to develop a metered dose transdermal spray (MDTS) formulation for transdermal delivery of dexketoprofen (DE). DE release from a series of formulations was assessed in vitro. Various qualitative and quantitative parameters like spray pattern, pump seal efficiency test, average weight per metered dose, and dose uniformity were evaluated. The optimized formulation with good skin permeation and an appropriate drug concentration and permeation enhancer (PE) content was developed incorporating 7% (w/w, %) DE, 7% (v/v, %) isopropyl myristate (IPM), and 93% (v/v, %) ethanol. In vivo pharmacokinetic study indicated that the optimized formulation showed a more sustainable plasma-concentration profile compared with the Fenli group. The antiinflammatory effect of DE MDTS was evaluated by experiments involving egg-albumin-induced paw edema in rats and xylene-induced ear swelling in mice. Acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction was used to evaluate the anti-nociceptive actions of DE MDTS. Pharmacodynamic studies indicated that the DE MDTS has good anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive activities. Besides, skin irritation studies were performed using rat as an animal model. The results obtained show that the MDTS can be a promising and innovative therapeutic system used in transdermal drug delivery for DE.