Researchers at the University of Sheffield, UK and the Danish company Dermtreat have jointly developed an innovative patch, known as the Rivelin, to improve treatment for mouth ulcers.
The patch allows for highly-targeted treatment of ulcers with steroids and other drugs, while providing a protective barrier around the affected area. Current treatments require mouthwashes or ointments that distribute the treatment over the entire mouth and only offer short contact times between the drug and lesion.
The patch is created with a manufacturing technique known as electrospinning, where a scaffold of ultrafine biocompatible fibers is woven with highly controlled structural parameters, such as porosity and surface area. The Rivelin patch is made up of two layers: an outer hydrophobic layer (manufactured from polycaprolactone) and an inner layer of polyvinylpyrrolidone/Eudragit RS100 fibers, with mucoadhesive properties to stick to the inner-mouth, gums, or tongue. This inner layer is also loaded with the drug to treat the ulcer.
“The patch acts like a plaster inside your mouth, which means it is very effective at directly targeting the specific area as well as forming a protective barrier,” said Dr Craig Murdoch, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield. “Patients who have trialled the patch found it to be very comfortable to wear and they were really pleased with the length of adhesion which makes it particularly effective and efficient.”
Users’ experiences of the patch are reported in the journal Biomaterials, where the patch was found to adhere to the mouth for up to two-hours with no reported taste or irritation. The patch is beginning Phase II clinical trials in both US and UK sites, including the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield.
Further information on the Rivelin webpage…
Study in Biomaterials: Pre-clinical evaluation of novel mucoadhesive bilayer patches for local delivery of clobetasol-17-propionate to the oral mucosa…