Formulation and Evaluation of Celecoxib Transdermal Patches

Abstract

This study aims to prepare prolonged-release Celecoxib transdermal patches due to the multiple advantages of patches. Several formulations were prepared using Ethylcellulose (EC) as a hydrophobic polymer with different plasticizers such as Span 60, Silicon oil, Oleic acid, or Polyethylene Glycol 400 (PEG400). Different properties of the prepared patches (in terms of weight uniformity, content uniformity, folding endurance, and in vitro drug release) were studied. The effect of changing polymer concentration and type of plasticizer and its concentration on patch properties were investigated. The results showed that ≈90% of Celecoxib was released after 24 hours by using EC at a concentration of 0.5% with PEG 400(25% w/w with respect to dry weight of polymer). The prepared films were transparent, visually homogenous, and flexible as the folding endurance value was 500±1.52 folds and Celecoxib release followed Higuchi model, meaning that the diffusion of Celecoxib through the EC chains is the main mechanism of release.