DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF TRANSDERMAL PATCHES CONTAINING GALANTAMINE HYDROBROMIDE

Abstract: This study aimed to develop an effective transdermal drug delivery system of Galantamine Hydrobromide, an anti-Alzheimer's drug, to improve patient compliance and optimize drug therapy in patients with dementia who often have difficulties adhering to oral medication schedules. Various transdermal patches of GH were prepared using the box-Behnken design of experiments with different polymer combinations. The fabricated patches were evaluated for properties like thickness, folding endurance, drug content uniformity, in vitro drug release, and diffusion studies. The results were compared to conventional tablets containing the same polymer combination. Formulation A2 containing Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) 137.5 mg, Ethyl Cellulose (EC) 400 mg, and xanthan gum 300 mg had a flux of 212.24 μg/cm2/h, the permeability of 2.32 cm/h, and 27.95% release at 8h, with first-order and non-Fickian drug release kinetics. The optimized transdermal patch formulation had the potential to provide a prolonged release of GH for over 2 d and reduce the frequency of dosing. However, further studies are warranted to confirm the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of the patches in animal and human models before clinical use.