PERCUTANEOUS PERMEATION OF BETAMETHASONE 17-VALERATE FROM DIFFERENT VEHICLES

In vitro percutaneous permeation of betamethasone 17-valerate through excised human skin was examined using four different vehicles. The mean drug flux from the pressure sensitive silicone adhesive which contained the drug as a suspension was 2.4-times greater than that from a 1.2 mg/g commercially available cream which also contained the drug as a suspension. The latter was comparable to the mean flux from aqueous saturation (5.5 mug/ml) and 4.1-times larger than that from 0.12 mg/g cream. The aqueous vehicle did not show an enhancing effect on the percutaneous permeation of betamethasone 17-valerate because the flux from the aqueous saturation was within a factor of 2.5 when compared to the value from the suspension in the silicone adhesive and commercially available cream. Aqueous saturation concentration may provide the representative unit activity flux of corticosteroid through the skin.