In Australia a new female contraceptive is being tested. Because the hormone being used breaks down in the stomach, pills are not an effective delivery method. When sprayed on the skin it penetrates, pools, and then is delivered in a time-released manner. It has possibilities for nursing mothers because the baby's gut would destroy any of it that was excreted in the milk. The method could also be useful for other compounds that need to be time-released and are broken down by stomach acid.
On the other hand, the mechanism used is the same one exploited by water-resistant sunscreens. I hope they have been properly tested for the long-duration exposures they present by their persistence in the skin tissues.
No comments:
Post a Comment