A slow-release atropine gel with muco-adhesion properties reducing systemic distribution, with greater ease of administration, and more consistent dosing.

Sialorrhea (a frequent symptom of neurological diseases or injuries) is often defined as the accumulation of saliva and the unintentional loss of the saliva from the mouth, resulting in drooling. Most current treatment methods using off-label drugs to come with significant systemic effects, are difficult to administer, require frequent administration and have inconsistent dosing.

A cross-functional team at the University of Utah is testing a mucoadhesive gel formulation that contains the anticholinergic atropine. The gel will be inserted or adhered at a point in a patient’s mouth such that the atropine is released slowly, thereby reducing sialorrhea. The formulation is proposed to have fewer undesirable systemic effects than other available methods due to the drug’s greater affinity for the gel than saliva. Thus, the drug will be released slowly and act at the site of insertion rather than spreading through the body. The formulation will also have better patient/caregiver compliance because of the relative ease of use and less frequent administration. Finally, the proposed gel formulation will result in more consistent dosing.

Pre-Clinical Validation

Increased compliance due to less frequent and ease of administration.

Consistent and localized dosing obviates significant systemic effects.

Single-Dose Pharmacokinetics of Atropine Oral Gel in Healthy Adults - https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05164367

Aaron Duffy
(801) 585-1377
aaron.duffy@utah.edu