Plaster that sticks to the inside of the mouth could improve the treatment of oral diseases

Scientists from the School of Clinical Dentistry at the University of Sheffield, working closely with Dermtreat A / S in Copenhagen, have developed a unique patch using special polymers able to stick to wet surfaces.

The patch successfully administers steroids directly to mouth ulcers or lesions while creating a protective barrier around the affected area, thus accelerating the healing process.

The plaster novel is a revolutionary therapy for the treatment of mucosal conditions such as oral lichen planus (ORP) and recurrent foot-and-mouth disease (rheumatoid arthritis), which are diseases that cause painful lesions and affect 1-2 per cent population.

Up to now, ulcers and lesions inside the mouth have been treated with creams or mouthwashes, which are used throughout the mouth rather than targeting the specific area, which makes them less effective. However, the Rivelin biodegradable patch has a long time of adhesion and great flexibility that conforms to the surface inside the mouth.

Dr. Craig Murdoch, professor at the School of Clinical Dentistry and senior author of the research, said: "Chronic inflammatory diseases such as PLO and RAS, which cause erosive and painful oral lesions, have a considerable impact on the quality of life.

Current treatments include the use of steroids in the form of mouthwashes, creams or ointments, but these are often ineffective due to inadequate medical contact times with the lesion.

"The patch acts as a plaster inside your mouth, which means it's very effective at directly targeting the specific area and forming a protective barrier.

"The patients who tested the patch found that it was very comfortable to wear and they were really happy with the duration of the adhesion that makes it particularly effective."

Jens Hansen, Managing Director of Dermtreat A / S, added: "The collaboration with the University of Sheffield has undoubtedly accelerated the translation of our intellectual property in favor of clinical use. medicines to meet urgent clinical needs in oral medicine.

"We look forward to continuing this collaboration, which will be increasingly oriented towards finding new clinical applications for mucoadhesive patches."

Dermtreat A / S recently received $ 17.7 million from the venture capital firm Sofinnova. The funding will support Phase 2 clinical trials, which will be conducted at several sites in the United States and the United Kingdom, including at Charles Clifford Hospital in Sheffield. In addition, Dermtreat is funding further research at the dental school to develop the next generation of patches that contain other useful drugs.

The results of the research are published in the journal biomaterials.

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More information:
HE. Colley et al., Preclinical evaluation of new mucoadhesive bilayer patches for the local administration of clobetasol-17-propionate to the oral mucosa, biomaterials (2018). DOI: 10.1016 / j.biomaterials.2018.06.009