A novel polymethylmethacrylate hydrophilic adhesive matrix intended for transdermal patch formulations.

A novel poly(sodium methacrylate, methylmethacrylate) hydrophilic pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) containing a large amount of water was designed. The effects of PEG400, glycerin, sorbitol, and/or NaCl on the in vitro and in vivo adhesive properties were investigated by means of a 2(4) full factorial design. The optimized formulation, containing all independent variables at the highest value, was loaded with lidocaine hydrochloride (LH). This formulation permitted to obtain a 4-fold higher LH flux through human skin with respect to the marketed products.