Percutaneous absorption enhancement

Percutaneous absorption enhancement refers to chemical, physical, or formulation-based methods used to increase the passage of drugs through the skin by temporarily reducing the skin barrier. Common strategies include the use of penetration enhancers (such as terpenes, alcohols, surfactants, and azones), thermal or physical devices (heat, ultrasound, electroporation, iontophoresis), and prodrug approaches. These methods may act by disrupting the lipid and protein structure of the stratum corneum, improving drug solubility in skin lipids, or forming aqueous channels to facilitate drug transport. While effective for improving topical or transdermal drug delivery, these methods carry risks such as local irritation, allergic reactions, and systemic absorption of both drugs and enhancers.

Other names

Percutaneous absorption enhancerstransdermal penetration enhancerssorption promotersabsorption accelerantsskin penetration enhancersabsorption promoters

Not applicable for a defined biomolecule; for context, percutaneous absorption enhancers act by disrupting skin lipids/proteins, altering barrier properties, and increasing drug solubility in skin.