Microneedle-enabled drug delivery device for long-acting treatment of women’s health-related conditions

Women’s health-related conditions such as vaginal infections or endometriosis can have a severe impact on patient´s quality of life.

Standard therapies for such diseases are associated with serious adverse effects caused by high systemic drug exposure which limits adherence to treatment regimes.

Local vaginal drug administration using intravaginal rings (IVRs) can circumvent these drawbacks, however their use has so far been limited to simple hormone therapies.

The aim of this project is to develop an IVR device with two unique functionalities: i) cavities that act as sustained release drug reservoirs and ii) a microneedle-covered surface to overcome the vaginal mucus barrier that otherwise limits drug uptake. We will utilize 3D printing to manufacture IVRs allowing fine control of cavity and microneedle geometry.

The cavities will be filled with advanced lipid-based drug formulations that enable long-term stability, sustained release and drug bioavailability.

Drug release and mucus penetration will be optimized using vaginal simulant fluids and biomimetic tissue models in our lab and in collaboration with leading experts in vaginal physiology and drug delivery. The outcome of this 4-year project will be an IVR with long-acting, local drug delivery to vaginal epithelial tissue.

This novel device will extend the applicability of IVRs beyond their traditional use and enable effective, personalized and patient-compliant treatment of women’s health-related conditions.