Pressure-sensitive adhesive properties of poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)/D,L-lactic acid oligomer/glycerol/water blends for TDDS.

In order to develop a new type of pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) for a transdermal drug-delivery system (TDDS), a quaternary blend (PDGW) composed of poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), D,L-lactic acid oligomer (DLLAO), glycerol and water was prepared, in which glycerol and water were used as plasticizer. The effects of the number-average molecular weight (M(n)) of DLLAO and the contents of DLLAO and plasticizer on the PSA properties were studied. The results suggest that PDGW exhibits excellent PSA properties when M(n) of DLLAO is in the range of about 200-400 and the contents of DLLAO, glycerol and water are in the range of 5-20, 15-25 and 20-35 wt%, respectively. The miscibility between PVP and DLLAO was investigated via DSC, TGA and FT-IR, and all results indicate that PVP has good miscibility with DLLAO due to strong hydrogen-bond interaction. The storage stability of PDGW also was studied and the results show that the PDGW matrix possesses stable properties over time. In addition, in vivo skin irritation of PDGW was investigated using rabbit as model animal, and the results show that the PDGW does not cause irritation to skin after topical application for 120 h. Therefore, the PDGW possesses excellent PSA properties and presents potential application in TDDS.