IMPROVED CONTRACEPTIVE DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A SIMPLE, INEXPENSIVE PATCH THAT WILL TRANSDERMALLY DELIVER CONTRACEPTIVE DRUGS TO PATIENTS. THE PATCH WILL UTILIZE HERCON LABORATORIES CORPORATION'S PATENTED MULTILAYER POLYMERIC DISPENSER OF DRUGS, WHICH CONSISTS OF A RESERVOIR LAYER CONTAINING THE DRUG SEALED BETWEEN OUTER LAYERS. A PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE HOLDS THE PATCH ONTO THE SKIN; THE OUTERMOST LAYER IS IMPERVIOUS, FORCING THE DRUG TO DIFFUSE TOWARD THE SKIN. THE RATE OF DRUG DELIVERY IS CONTROLLED BY THE LAYER NEXT TO THE SKIN. ADVANTAGES OF THE PATCH ARE CONSTANT DRUG DELIVERY OVER PROLONGED PERIODS AT THE THERAPEUTIC LEVEL, ELIMINATION OF MANY SIDE EFFECTS, GREATER DRUG BIOAVAILABILITY THAN WITH ORAL DRUGS, GREATER PATIENT COMPLIANCE, AND MORE SAFETY THAN WITH OTHER DOSAGE FORMS.