TY  - JOUR
T1  - Delivered Dose as an Emergent Property of Microneedle Formulations: A Coupled Mechanical–Pharmaceutical Framework for Skin Deformation, Insertion Heterogeneity, and Incomplete Matrix Dissolution
A1  - Thomas Mwangi
A1  - Farah Aziz
A1  - Michael Brenner
JF  - International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Allied Sciences
JO  - Int J Pharm Res Allied Sci
SN  - 2277-3657
Y1  - 2026
VL  - 15
IS  - 2
DO  - 10.51847/oVfPO8LWLa
SP  - 171
EP  - 180
N2  - Dissolving microneedle patches are commonly characterized by the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient incorporated, the fraction of needles judged to penetrate skin, and the extent of matrix dissolution. These measurements address different physical events and cannot, individually, establish the mass or time course of biologically accessible drug. This mechanism-based theoretical analysis examines how deformation of skin under an applied array, spatially heterogeneous penetration, contact with interstitial fluid, and formulation-dependent release jointly determine drug disposition. Drawing on published microneedle mechanics, polymer dissolution, pharmacokinetic, and carrier-delivery studies, the analysis distinguishes nominal loading, mechanically implanted cargo, dissolved matrix, liberated intact drug, local tissue deposition, and bioavailable exposure. It proposes a position- and time-resolved account in which these states may covary, making simple multiplication of average insertion and dissolution percentages potentially misleading. Rival insertion-limited, dissolution-limited, and post-release transport explanations are specified alongside discriminating measurement requirements. The resulting design principle is to verify pharmaceutical delivery at the anatomical and chemical state relevant to intended therapy, while treating penetration indicators and polymer disappearance as intermediate observations. The account remains a testable nonempirical synthesis; its relationships require formulation- and skin-context-specific validation.
UR  - https://ijpras.com/article/delivered-dose-as-an-emergent-property-of-microneedle-formulations-a-coupled-mechanicalpharmaceuti-89li31rcmchotbi
ER  -