Octopus-inspired patch for drug delivery, Zurich study finds

Inspired by the suction cups on octopus tentacles, Zurich researchers have developed a patch for delivering medicines. The patch is stuck to the inside of the cheek and enables the delivery of medicines that would otherwise require a syringe. In initial trials on humans, the patch proved to be safe and tolerable, as the researchers from the federal technology institute ETH Zurich (ETH Zurich) wrote in the study published on Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine. To test their patch, the researchers loaded it with desmopressin, an approved diabetes drug for dogs, and stuck it on the oral mucosa, the lining or “skin” inside of the mouth, including cheeks and lips, of dogs. The patch stayed in the animals' mouths for three hours without falling off or causing irritation, the study showed. The effect of the drug was comparable to the effect when given in tablet form. +Medication side effects result in 700 deaths a year in Switzerland The researchers then had 40...