"An ibuprofen patch that delivers the painkiller directly through the skin to the site of pain at a consistent dose for up to  hours has been developed by UK researchers.  Scientists at the University of Warwick and spinoff company Medherant say their TEPI patch could revolutionize the transdermal drug delivery market.  University of Warwick research chemist Professor David Haddleton told Reuters that the polymer matrix in the patch acts as a reservoir for the drug capable of releasing between five and ten times the amount of drugs used in gels and patches currently on the market for periods of six hours  hours and even  hours.  What we do is dissolve the active ibuprofen for example into the adhesive so we can have quite a high loading  so up to  percent of the adhesive will be the ibuprofen said Haddleton. When thats placed on the skin just like an elastoplast then the drug will actually diffuse across the skin into the body at the site of the pain and then relieve the pain in the same way as current gels and creams. Were controlling the dosage and were keeping it there for a prolonged period of time.  The patches could help treat conditions like chronic back pain neuralgia and arthritis without the need to take potentially damaging doses of the drug orally. The team says that popular ibuprofen gels make it difficult to control dosage and can be easily rubbed off.  Although TEPI patch remains highly tacky and adheres well to skin it is not uncomfortable to peel off unlike many traditional plasters.  According to Andrew Lee cofounder of Medherant weve only been in the lab about  months but in the  months weve essentially assessed about  percent of the drugs that are currently available as either creams or patches. Weve tested them in our polymers with very good results weve been able to get increased loadings of drugs in the polymer and weve shown almost across the board that we can get a steady release rate of that drug from the polymer as well.  The team says TEPI patches could go on sale within three years and Medherant is working with some large unnamed pharmaceutical companies to get them ready for market.  Haddleton says the technology has exciting potential for other medications such as opioid painkillers. Whats important is to be able to extend the range of drugs that are available by patches because at the moment were limited to about  different drugs and there are thousands of drugs out there and only about  are used in patches at the moment which is limited by the technology of the adhesive essentially he said.  Lee told Reuters that many commercial patches do not contain pain relief agents at all and merely sooth the body with a warming effect. He said Medherants technology would eliminate most side effects created by oral medication.  One of the interesting areas that we plan to explore in partnership with large companies is actually using our platform technology to include other drugs that previously maybe havent been suitable for topical or transdermal delivery  or drugs which may have not got through the regulatory filings because for instance they might have caused stomach irritation or other side effects when taken orally said Lee.  The TEPI patch incorporates new adhesive technology developed by global adhesive company Bostik. Lee believes ibuprofen strips could be useful for sports participants helping alleviate conditions such as tendonitis and repetitive strain injuries. Nutrition companies have also shown an interest in adapting Medherants technology for transmitting minerals and vitamins through the skin. Our StandardsThe Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. httpthomsonreuters.comenaboutustrustprinciples.html"