Transdermal GnRH Delivery System to Treat Infertility

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The ability to conceive and maintain a pregnancy is a desire most couples expect to fulfill in their lifetime. However, infertility affects between eight and fifteen percent of the American population. One of the most common causes of female infertility is anovulation, or the inability to stimulate and release an egg from the ovary. Although there are a number of treatments to correct this condition, all have side-effects that make their application less than desirable. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), however, has been shown to be both effective and free of side-effects, but its current method of administration is invasive, expensive and causes discomfort. To provide the benefits of GnRH treatments to a broad range of patients, Advanced Sensor Technologies (AST) proposes to develop a wearable transdermal Pulse Patch that incorporates a micro-iontophoresis system, constructed using CMOS circuitry technology, and a polymer matrix electrolyte reservoir containing enough synthetic GnRH to deliver exact square wave pulses of it over a 24 hour period for the purpose of inducing ovulation in women who suffer from infertility. Polymer matrix electrolytes have been shown to be ideal for storage and delivery of molecules, such as lithium and lidocaine, that are delivered using iontophoresis, since the polymers trap the molecules and only release them when the iontophoresis current is applied. The device will be powered by a thin film battery, built into the protective casing that surrounds the unit, yielding a self-contained device the size of a band-aid.