薬理と治療

Abstract

Objective　LOQOA® tape is a tape-type patch formulation composed of esflurbiprofen（SFP）, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug（NSAID）. In order to improve the difficulty of removal after use（peel strength）, a commercial formulation of the LOQOA® tape was modified. In this study, the effects of the modified formulation on the transepidermal water loss and the exfoliation of stratum corneum of the skin were evaluated in rabbits. Methods　The modified formulation, commercial LOQOA® tape and some typical NSAIDs patches were applied on the back skin in rabbits. The transepidermal water loss was measured before application and after removal of the patches on the skin, and the increase rate of transepidermal water loss was calculated. Using the formulations after removal, the amounts of exfoliated stratum corneum of the skin were determined. These parameters were evaluated as indicators of skin damage. Results　Compared with the commercial LOQOA® tape, the modified formulation showed the reduction of increase rate in transepidermal water loss in the rabbit skin. In addition, the increase rate of transepidermal water loss and the amount of exfoliated stratum corneum of the skin after application of the modified formulation were comparable to those of typical other NSAIDs patches. Conclusions　Based on the results of this study, the modified formulation caused less skin damage at the removal of patches than the commercial LOQOA® tape in rabbits, and it is expected that the modified formulation could reduce the damage to the skin at removal of the patches in clinical use.