Title:Planar Bioadhesive Microdevices: A New Technology for Oral Drug Delivery
Volume: 15
Issue: 7
Author(s): Cade B. Fox, Hariharasudhan D. Chirra and Tejal A. Desai
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Bio-MEMS, microdevices, microfabrication, micropatches, nanofabrication, oral drug delivery.
Abstract: The oral route is the most convenient and least expensive route of drug administration. Yet, it is accompanied
by many physiological barriers to drug uptake including low stomach pH, intestinal enzymes and transporters, mucosal
barriers, and high intestinal fluid shear. While many drug delivery systems have been developed for oral drug administration,
the physiological components of the gastro intestinal tract remain formidable barriers to drug uptake. Recently, microfabrication
techniques have been applied to create micron-scale devices for oral drug delivery with a high degree of
control over microdevice size, shape, chemical composition, drug release profile, and targeting ability. With precise control
over device properties, microdevices can be fabricated with characteristics that provide increased adhesion for prolonged
drug exposure, unidirectional release which serves to avoid luminal drug loss and enhance drug permeation, and
protection of a drug payload from the harsh environment of the intestinal tract. Here we review the recent developments in
microdevice technology and discuss the potential of these devices to overcome unsolved challenges in oral drug delivery.
