DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF MATRIX PATCHES AS TRANSDERMAL DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR AMLODIPINE

Using skin as absorption site for drugs provides a great advantage over other routes of drug administration. This provides a rapid and reproducible drug response which are difficult to administer through other routes. Thus in this study efforts have been made to develop suitable transdennal drug delivery system (TDDS) of amlodipine using various polymers. enhancers. Physical studies including moisture content, moisture uptake, flatness to study the stability of the formulations and in vitro dissolution of the experimental formulations were performed to determine the amount of amlodipine present in the patches were performed and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photographs of the prepared TDDS were taken to see the drug distribution pattern. Drug-excipient interaction studies were carried out using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic technique differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In vitro skin permeation study was carried out in a modified Franz's diffusion cell. All the formulations were found to be appropriate for formulating in terms of physicochemical characteristics and there was no significant interaction noticed between the drug and polymers used. In vitro dissolution studies showed that the drug distribution in the matrix was homogeneous and the SEM photographs further demonstrated this. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed that drug transformed in amorphous form in matrix patches. From this study it was concluded that sustained release of amlodipine was achieved by preparing patches without any interaction.