Effect of Ethanolamine Salts and Enhancers on the Percutaneous Absorption of Meloxicam from a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive Matrix

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of salt formation on the percutaneous absorption of meloxicam through hairless mouse skin from a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) matrix. In addition, the influences of enhancers on the permeation of meloxicam or meloxicam-ethanolamine (MX-EA) salts across the hairless mouse skin were evaluated using a flow-through diffusion cell system. The salt formation of meloxicam resulted in lower permeation rate than the parent drug. $Span^{(R)}$ 80 provided the highest enhancing effect for meloxicam and meloxicam monoethanolamine salt. The maximum amount of the drug that can be loaded without retarding permeation rate was different depending on the compound. No relationship was found between the fluxes of meloxicam or MX-EA salts from saturated solutions and those from PSA matrices containing the same enhancer.