By: Talaya Hidayatullah, Fazli Nasir, Sadia Pervez, Muzna Ali Khattak, Syeda Rabqa Zainab, Arbab Tahir Ali, Christina Peter, Altaf Ur Rahman
Keywords: Dissolving microneedles; Comparative bioavailability; Ibuprofen; Ibuprofen sodium; Pharmacokinetics
DOI : 10.36721/PJPS.2025.38.6.REG.14569.1
Abstract: This study is aimed to fabricate dissolving microneedles of ibuprofen and Ibuprofen sodium to have comparative bioavailability of both based on their pharmacokinetic profiles in healthy humans. Microneedles (MN) are a novel third generation transdermal drug delivery technology that overcomes skin barrier and enables enhanced drug delivery. Ibuprofen has a poor water solubility while Ibuprofen sodium, the salt of ibuprofen offers better solubility in aqueous media and hence quicker absorption into blood stream. The solubility of poor aqueous-soluble ibuprofen was enhanced by Soluplus (SP). The microneedles were fabricated using micromoulding technique. Morphology, drug content, mechanical strength studies, In-vitro drug release and in-vivo release in healthy humans were carried out. In-vivo pharmacokinetic analysis in healthy human volunteers revealed a Cmax of 21.5 µg/ml ±3.28 with the Tmax of 24h and the MRT of 19.5hrs for ibuprofen, showing a prolonged stay in the body and sustained release into the blood stream. Ibuprofen sodium MNs showed quicker release into the systemic circulation with a Tmax of 2h and quick clearance as compared to ibuprofen MNs. The in-vivo findings provided evidence for the use of ibuprofen sodium MNs for acute pain while Ibuprofen MNs for sustained release analgesic effect.
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