Dronabinol is effective as an anti-emetic in anorexia, and for treating nausea and frequent vomiting in cancer chemotherapy. This is currently administered orally, and is not always effective. A meta-analysis study revealed a poor or partial response to dronabinol in approximately 65% of 750 courses of oral therapy. Thus high single doses of this drug are administered causing side effects such as sedation, confusion, and anxiety. These problems could be minimized by the administration of sustained low doses of dronabinol via a trans-dermal patch. This route of administration will reduce the variation in absorption and metabolism, associated with oral administration and on the other hand increase the bio-availability and the efficacy by avoiding liver first-pass inactivation. Therapeutics plasma levels of dronabinol will be estimated from in vitro diffusion experiments and drug distribution between immiscible solvents. During this phase I SBIR project, the contractor proposes to develop the dronabinol dermal adhesive patch for safer delivery of drug to the system.
