Dronabinol Transdermal Patch for Steady Plasma Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for neurological diseases such as dementia, ALS, FTD, and epilepsy are inadequate, and dronabinol oral administration faces challenges like inconvenient dosage, interpatient variability, hepatic metabolism, instability, and impractical patch sizes for transdermal delivery.

Innovation Solution

A transdermal pharmaceutical composition of synthetic dronabinol, formulated as a patch or microneedles, providing controlled and steady delivery of dronabinol for treating neurological disorders and nausea/vomiting, without additional antiemetics, using carriers like solvents and penetration enhancers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If oral administration of dronabinol is used, then treatment for nausea and vomiting is provided, but dosage frequency is inconvenient and interpatient variability is high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoiddosage frequency convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the oral administration system with a transdermal delivery system. The transdermal patch delivers dronabinol through the skin, eliminating the need for oral ingestion and associated dosing inconveniences. This substitution provides continuous, convenient delivery without requiring patient compliance with multiple oral doses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the delivery parameter from oral to transdermal route. By formulating dronabinol in a transdermal patch with specific carriers and penetration enhancers, the system achieves controlled release through the skin, transforming the administration parameter and thereby improving convenience while maintaining treatment effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If oral administration of dronabinol is used, then treatment is provided, but hepatic metabolism and instability reduce bioavailability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoidbioavailability loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes the oral administration pathway with transdermal delivery. By delivering dronabinol through the skin rather than through the gastrointestinal tract and liver, the system avoids hepatic first-pass metabolism and improves bioavailability while maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If transdermal patch is designed for dronabinol delivery, then controlled delivery is achieved, but patch size becomes impractical

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrolled delivery rateVSAvoidpatch size

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the formulation parameters of the transdermal patch, including the type and concentration of carriers and penetration enhancers. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves controlled dronabinol delivery through enhanced skin permeation, thereby reducing the required patch area while maintaining effective dosage rates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If multiple antiemetics are combined in transdermal patch, then treatment coverage is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment coverageVSAvoidpatch formulation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the antiemetic therapy by providing dronabinol as a single active ingredient in the transdermal patch rather than combining multiple antiemetic drugs. This segmentation simplifies the patch formulation while maintaining effective treatment coverage for nausea and vomiting, avoiding the complexity of multi-drug formulations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The transdermal delivery system achieves consistent blood serum levels, reduces variability, and provides effective treatment for neurological disorders and chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting with improved patient compliance and stability.

Implementation Method 1

A transdermal pharmaceutical composition of synthetic dronabinol, formulated as a patch or microneedles, providing controlled and steady delivery of dronabinol

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectTransdermal delivery: Permeation

Implementation Method 2

using carriers like solvents and penetration enhancers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPermeation enhancement: Permeation

Data Source

PatentUS20250381205A1Transdermal Delivery of Dronabinol

Publication Date: 2025.12.18 PIKE THERAPEUTICS USA INC

AI summary

Provided is a transdermal drug delivery system comprising dronabinol. The dronabinol transdermal delivery system provides a drug plasma concentration at predetermined rate for a predetermined period of time, offering a simplified therapeutic regimen by decreasing dosing frequency for the treatment and/or prevention of nausea and/or vomiting associated with, for example, chemotherapy.