Controlled Delivery of Apomorphine Through Buccal Mucosa, Towards a Noninvasive Administration Method in Parkinson's Disease: A Preclinical Mechanistic Study

Apomorphine (APO), a potent treatment for Parkinson's disease, is only administered parenterally either as intermittent injections or as an infusion. This is due to extensive hepatic “first pass” metabolism. Prolonged delivery through buccal mucosa may be potential substitute for parenteral infusions. To investigate this concept of buccal mucosal delivery, permeability ex vivo studies were performed through excised porcine buccal mucosa by utilizing Ussing diffusion chamber. Permeability rates were assessed for APO from simulated saliva medium at pH 7.4 as well as with utilization of different permeability modifying methods. Lowering the pH to 5.9 decreased permeability rate six-fold, while addition of ethanol : propylene glycol solution elevated it four-fold. Addition of nano-scale lipospheres to the donor compartment delayed the accumulation of APO at the receiver side, prolongating the lag-time from one to approx. three hours. These findings were strengthened by results obtained with co-administration of permeability markers (standards) atenolol and metoprolol. Simulation of the obtained permeability rates to in vivo setup in human showed therapeutically relevant plasma levels when using the outcomes of the current study. These findings verify the novel concept of APO prolonged release buccal administration as a noninvasive substitute for parenteral infusions in treating Parkinson's disease.