Anticipating the need for patient-friendly technologies that can deliver therapeutic doses of prescribed drugs with minimal reliance on the patient, drug developers continue to explore noninvasive routes of administration. Delivering drugs through the skin - transdermal delivery - possesses several attractive attributes, but as work with passive transdermal patches has progressed, so too has the realization of the true extent of the barrier to drug delivery presented by the stratum corneum, the skin's outer layer of dead, hydrophobic, keratinized cells. By using a variety of energy and mechanical approaches, active transdermal delivery expands the potential for delivering drugs noninvasively by actively transporting the drug across and through the skin.

Led by established technology companies including Alza/J&J, Becton Dickinson, and 3M, combination microporation drug delivery products will dominate the active transdermal sector for the next three years, representing almost two-thirds of the market in 2009. Other important active transdermal segments include iontophoresis and heat-assisted transdermal products. Products based on electroporation, ultrasound and lasers will also compete for market share.

Active Transdermal Drug Delivery: Evolving Technology, Expanding Opportunities, a recently released report, analyzes existing and emerging active transdermal products, market participants, and key demand and technology factors influencing this market and shaping growth in this sector. It is available from Greystone Associates by visiting this link.

About Greystone

Greystone Associates is a medical and healthcare technology consulting firm providing services in strategic planning, venture development, product commercialization, and technology and market assessment.

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