IDEA: 'Ultradeformable' drug carriers

Delivery of large molecule drugs through the skin is an appealing goal, particularly for chronic uses where it would obviate the need for frequent injections. But normal skin is refractory to drugs with molecular weights greater than 400 daltons. Phospholipids would make attractive transdermal drug delivery agents except for one shortcoming: because they have a cylindrical shape, they tend to form prohibitively large, rigid aggregates that don't cross the skin.

IDEA, Innovative Dermal Applications GmbH, has developed technology to overcome that limitation. By adding cone-shaped molecules - usually biosurfactants - that come in between the phospholipids, a more flexible carrier wall is created that allows penetration through the skin. The resulting "ultradeformable" drug carriers can bring even large molecules through pores much smaller than the average diameter of the vesicle, according to Andreas Schätzlein, a scientist at IDEA...