Design, Development and Evaluation of Transungal Adhesive Patch for Effective Treatment over Nail Fungal Infection
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22270/ajprd.v14i4.1847Abstract
Onychomycosis is one of the most common fungal nail infections and is often difficult to treat because the dense keratinized nail plate limits drug penetration. Although oral antifungal therapy is effective, prolonged treatment duration, systemic adverse effects, and drug interactions reduce patient compliance. Therefore, the development of a localized transungual drug delivery system capable of providing sustained drug release and enhanced nail permeation remains an important therapeutic objective.
The present study aimed to formulate and evaluate a Tavaborole-loaded transungual adhesive patch for the effective treatment of onychomycosis using the solvent casting technique.
Transungual adhesive patches were prepared using Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC E15 and HPMC K15M) and Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30) as film-forming polymers, with Polyethylene Glycol 400 and PEG 600 as plasticizers. Multiple formulations (F1–F35) were prepared and evaluated for physicochemical characteristics, including thickness, weight variation, folding endurance, drug content, tensile strength, moisture content, and patch appearance. Drug-excipient compatibility was investigated using FTIR and DSC studies. The optimized formulation was subjected to in-vitro drug release, release kinetic modeling, and antifungal activity against Candida albicans.
Compatibility studies confirmed the absence of significant interactions between Tavaborole and the selected excipients. Among all prepared formulations, F25 exhibited optimum physicochemical characteristics with satisfactory flexibility, uniformity, and drug content. The optimized formulation demonstrated sustained drug release with high cumulative drug release, and kinetic analysis indicated that the release profile best fitted the Zero-order model. The formulation also exhibited appreciable antifungal activity against Candida albicans, confirming its potential for localized treatment of fungal nail infections.
Tavaborole-loaded transungual adhesive patches prepared by the solvent casting method demonstrated satisfactory physicochemical properties, sustained drug release, and promising antifungal activity. The optimized formulation (F25) may serve as an effective localized drug delivery system for the management of onychomycosis while minimizing systemic adverse effects.
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