A Novel Organogel System Capable of Enhancing Skin Penetration Characteristics of Acyclovir

Topical preparations such as cream for Acyclovir(ACV), a potent anti-viral agent for the treatment of herpes simplex and herpes zoster, have been marketed in the world since 1993. However, the skin penetration rate of ACV from generic cream formulations sold in Europe has been found to be lower than the original $Zovirax^{\circledR}$ cream. In this study, we formulated ACV into a novel organogel system and compared the skin penetration characteristics with $Zovirax^{\circledR}$ cream. The rate and amount of skin penetration of ACV from the organogels were 6.3-fold greater than those obtained with $Zovirax^{\circledR}$ at an ACV concentration of 5%. The solubilizing effect of oil phase and anti-nucleation effect exhibited by sodium alginate contained in water phase are most likely attributed to enhanced ACV skin penetration property.