Transdermal Drug Delivery Mediated by Microneedle Arrays: Innovations and Barriers to Success

Microneedles (MN) offer a simple, minimally invasive and reduced pain alternative to hypodermic needles for drug delivery, including vaccines. Previous studies investigating the use of MN have highlighted the benefit of this technology to facilitate dermal and transdermal drug delivery. Going forward towards commercialization, it is important to consider the perceptions and acceptability that MN technology will have once available in the market. This review collects the opinions and expectations of different population groups such as children, parents, paediatricians and the general public on various MN systems. In addition, the low pain perception scores, based on a visual analog scale for MN application, should also lead to a greater acceptability of this technology as a means of transdermal drug delivery. This review also highlights the potential challenges associated with the different types of MN together with issues of sterility and biocompatibility which will be important future factors to consider.