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Pain killers can be a real drag for people with chronic pain. Having to constantly take them to alleviate pain can be just as taxing as the pain itself.
That’s where this new revolutionary technology comes in. A new pain-killing patch is in development, and it promises to provide relief straight to the location where it’s needed.
The patch is transparent, and was developed by the University of Warwick in partnership with private medicine company Medherant.
By putting ibuprofen into a sticky polymer matrix, the pain killer can be applied to the area directly, and deliver a steady stream of pain relief that’s ten times the amount of ibuprofen that you’d get in pill form.
This patch would solve a lot of problems for sufferers of arthritis or chronic back pain, as taking the drug orally on a regular basis has a high risk of overdose.
Patches that claim to provide pain relief that are currently available merely provide a warming effect, rather than actually providing pain relief.
This patch is different, in that it actually provides a dose of the NSAID through the patch.
“We can for the first time produce patches that contain active ingredients such as ibuprofen, for which no patches currently exist, and we can improve the drug loading and stickiness of patches in order to improve comfort.”
The CEO of Medherant says that these patches will be great for the healthcare system as well, as they could more efficiently delivery pain relief and it could become a real alternative to pills.
“Our first products will be over-the-counter pain relief patches and through partnering we would expect to have the first of those products on the market in around two years,” he said.
If it means we have to take less pills, plenty of Americans are sure to be on board with this product when it comes out.
