Effects of Application Site and Subject Demographics on the Pharmacokinetics of Fentanyl HCl Patient-Controlled Transdermal System (PCTS)

Developing a machine learning-based predictive model for the analgesic effectiveness of transdermal fentanyl in cancer patients: an interpretable approach

BACKGROUND

Cancer-related pain is a common and distressing symptom in patients with malignant tumors, significantly affecting quality of life. Transdermal fentanyl is a convenient opioid option for patients with intestinal obstruction or difficulty swallowing; however, some patients do not experience adequate pain relief. Predicting transdermal fentanyl analgesic effectiveness is crucial to optimize pain management.

AIM

This study aimed to develop a predictive model for transdermal fentanyl effectiveness in cancer patients.

METHOD

Clinical data from adult cancer pain patients at Chongqing University Cancer Hospital were analyzed (January 2020-December 2022). Logistic regression and feature selection were applied, followed by developing nine predictive models using Logistic Regression, Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the Youden index, and the Brier score were used to evaluate the performance of the model. Cross-validation and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis were used for validation and feature interpretation.

RESULTS

Among 151 patients, 27.2% reported ineffectiveness of transdermal fentanyl. Logistic regression identified key factors of NRS, transdermal fentanyl dosage, BMI, and ALT. Among the nine models, RF Model 8 exhibited the best performance, achieving a ROC-AUC of 0.984 (95% CI: [0.968, 0.999]). This performance was further validated by the confusion matrix metrics and visualization results. The SHAP analysis highlighted BMI, lower doses, NRS, and ALT as predictors of transdermal fentanyl ineffectiveness.

CONCLUSION

The Random Forest model offers a valuable tool for predicting the effectiveness of transdermal fentanyl in cancer pain patients, supporting the refined assessment and management of pain.

Novel Endomorphin Analogs Are More Potent and Longer-Lasting Analgesics in Neuropathic, Inflammatory, Postoperative, and Visceral Pain Relative to Morphine

Activation of the mu-opioid receptor provides the gold standard for pain relief, but most opioids used clinically have adverse effects that have contributed to an epidemic of overdose deaths. We recently characterized mu-opioid receptor selective endomorphin (EM) analogs that provide potent antinociception with reduction or absence of a number of side effects of traditionally prescribed opioids including abuse liability, respiratory depression, motor impairment, tolerance, and inflammation. The current study explores the effectiveness of these EM analogs relative to morphine in four major pain models by intrathecal as well as intravenous administration in male Sprague Dawley rats and subcutaneous administration in male CD-1 mice. In the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain, mechanical allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia were assessed with von Frey and Randall-Selitto tests, respectively. In the paw incision model of postoperative pain, von Frey testing was used to assess mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia was evaluated with Hargreaves testing. In the Complete Freund's Adjuvant model of inflammatory pain, thermal hyperalgesia was assessed using Hargreaves testing. In CD-1 mice, visceral pain was assessed with the acetic acid writhing test. In all cases, EM analogs had equal or greater potency and longer duration of action relative to morphine. The data suggest that EM analogs, particularly analog 4 (ZH853), could provide effective therapy for a diverse spectrum of pain conditions with low risk of adverse side effects compared with currently used opioids such as morphine.

PERSPECTIVE

Novel EM analogs show equal or greater potency and effectiveness relative to morphine in multiple pain models. Together with substantially reduced side effects, including abuse liability, the compounds show promise for addressing the critical need for effective pain relief as well as reducing the opioid overdose epidemic.

The Efficacy and Safety of the Fentanyl Iontophoretic Transdermal System (IONSYS®) in the Geriatric Population: Results of a Meta-Analysis of Phase III and IIIb Trials

Background and Objectives

Acute postoperative pain management in the geriatric patient can be challenging, including their response to medications. The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate whether the efficacy and safety profile of fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system (ITS) (IONSYS^®) was similar in geriatric (≥65 years) and non-geriatric (<65 years) patients.

Methods

Efficacy and safety data from three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials and four randomized, open-label, active-comparator trials were utilized for this analysis. Efficacy was assessed via the patient global assessment (PGA) and the investigator global assessment (IGA) scales. The PGA and IGA are categorical 4-point scales (excellent, good, fair, or poor) with treatment success defined as excellent or good. Safety was evaluated via adverse events.

Results

A total of 1763 patients were assigned to the fentanyl ITS treatment group. Of the 1763 patients in the fentanyl ITS group, 499 patients were ≥65 years of age; 65.1% were 65–74 years of age, 31.7% were 75–84 years of age, and 3.2% were ≥85 years of age. In the fentanyl ITS treatment groups, there were no statistically significant differences between the non-geriatric and geriatric patients in terms of patients reporting success on the PGA at 24 h (80.0 vs. 83.0%, respectively; p = 0.3415). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups in success rates on the IGA at study discharge (82.8 vs. 87.5%, respectively; p = 0.1195). The safety profile was similar between the age groups.

Conclusions

Overall, efficacy and safety of the fentanyl ITS were similar between the geriatric and non-geriatric patients.

Fentanyl Iontophoretic Transdermal System

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent in print and are also available on-line. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. A drug class review is now published monthly with The Formulary Monograph Service. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, contact Wolters Kluwer customer service at 866-397-3433. The January 2016 monograph topics are idarucizumab, patiromer, coagulation factor VIII/antihemophilic factor (recombinant), cariprazine, and trifluridine and tipiracil. The Safety MUE is on idarucizumab.

Pharmacodynamics and clinical efficacy of fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system for post-operative pain in hospitalized patients

INTRODUCTION

The fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system (ITS) is a patient-controlled transdermal system allowing needle-free administration of on-demand doses of Fentanyl of 40 µg over a 10-min period up to 80 doses or over a 24-h period. It is indicated in opioid naïve patients for the treatment of acute postoperative pain in the hospitalized patients for up to 72 h.

AREAS COVERED

It has been demonstrated to be effective and safe in randomized trials and to provide comparable analgesia versus morphine intravenous (i.v.) patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with adverse events similar between groups.

EXPERT OPINION

Fentanyl ITS has shown high patient satisfaction rates, and was described by patients and investigators as easy and convenient to use. These properties make this technology interesting when considering perioperative pain management. In the present health care environment additional data are required to establish the cost-benefit ratio of this technology in optimizing patient's recovery from surgery.

Patient-Controlled Transdermal Fentanyl Versus Intravenous Morphine Pump After Spine Surgery

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is regularly used to manage pain following major surgery. The fentanyl hydrochloride iontophoretic transdermal system (ITS) was developed to overcome some of the limitations of intravenous (IV) PCA. The small, self-adhesive, needle-free disposable system is applied to the skin on the upper arm or chest and is controlled by patients clicking a button on the device. The authors identified patients who were underwent spinal surgery from 2 prior multicenter, randomized studies and analyzed their data. Of the 1296 patients in the original trials, 170 underwent spine surgery procedures: 90 were randomized to the fentanyl ITS (40 mcg/activation) and 80 to IV PCA morphine (1 mg/dose). More patients treated with the fentanyl ITS rated their method of pain control as "excellent" across all time points, but differences did not reach statistical significance. However, investigators' ratings of "excellent" satisfaction with study treatment were significantly higher for the fentanyl ITS. Discontinuation rates and overall adverse event rates were similar between groups. The only significant difference was that patients treated with the fentanyl ITS had a higher rate of application site reactions than infusion site reactions in the IV PCA morphine group; the reactions were typically mild-to-moderate erythema that resolved shortly after removal of the fentanyl ITS device and did not require further treatment. Ratings of satisfaction with pain control method were consistently higher for the fentanyl ITS than the IV PCA morphine. The 2 groups had a similar safety profile. These results suggest that the fentanyl ITS appears to be a safe, efficacious alternative to IV PCA in spine surgery patients.

Development of the fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system (ITS) for patient-controlled analgesia of postoperative pain management

The fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system (ITS) is a needle-free, patient-activated drug delivery system used for patient-controlled analgesia in adult hospitalized patients with postoperative pain. The system design has been updated to a separated system consisting of a Controller and a Drug Unit, and has had regulatory submissions in USA and Europe in 2014. Fentanyl ITS has been shown to be therapeutically equivalent to morphine intravenous (iv.) patient-controlled analgesia. One of the advantages of fentanyl ITS is that patients have better mobility as there is no need for an iv. pump, iv. lines and pole. The introduction of the updated fentanyl ITS will add a versatile tool to the postoperative pain management armamentarium.

The Effect of Dosing Frequency on the Pharmacokinetics of a Fentanyl HCl Patient-Controlled Transdermal System (PCTS)

INTRODUCTION

The fentanyl HCl patient-controlled transdermal system (PCTS) is a noninvasive, needle-free, credit card-sized drug delivery system designed for the on-demand management of acute pain in a medically supervised setting. The objective of these studies was to determine the effect of dosing frequency on the pharmacokinetics of fentanyl delivered by the PCTS.

METHODS

All three studies were single-centre, open-label, randomised, crossover studies. The fentanyl HCl PCTS was applied to the upper outer arm of all participants. In the first study, participants (n = 30) received three fentanyl HCl PCTS 25 microg treatments: two sequential doses hourly for 23.33 hours, six sequential doses every 3 hours for 22 hours, and 72 doses continuously over 12 hours. Participants (n = 31) in the second study received three fentanyl HCl PCTS 40 microg treatments: two sequential doses hourly over 23.33 hours, six sequential doses every 3 hours over approximately 10 hours, and 80 doses continuously over 13.33 hours. In the third study, participants (n = 28) received four fentanyl HCl PCTS 40 microg treatments: 6, 18, 36 and 80 doses over 1, 3, 6 and 13.33 hours, respectively. Naltrexone was used to block the opioid effects of fentanyl. Pharmacokinetic parameters, including maximum serum fentanyl concentration (Cmax), time to Cmax (tmax), area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) and terminal half-life (t(1/2)) were determined.

RESULTS

In the first study, the dose-normalised AUC (AUCn) values for the 2- and 6-dose sequence treatments were not significantly different (p = 0.937), suggesting that the frequency of dosing has little effect on the amount of fentanyl absorbed; however, the AUCn for the 72-dose treatment was significantly lower than that of the other treatments (p = 0.001), which were of longer duration. The results of the second study paralleled those from the first, suggesting that the bioavailability of fentanyl delivered by the PCTS increases as a function of time and is likely to be independent of dosing frequency. Results from the third study suggested that approximately 40% of the nominal 40 microg fentanyl dose is absorbed during the first hour of treatment, with the full nominal dose absorbed after approximately 10 hours. The fentanyl HCl PCTS was well tolerated.

CONCLUSION

The amount of fentanyl absorbed from the PCTS increases as a function of time and is independent of both dosing frequency and total number of doses delivered. The fentanyl HCl PCTS is generally safe and well tolerated.

An update on the application of physical technologies to enhance intradermal and transdermal drug delivery

A large number of biopharmaceuticals and other macromolecules are being developed for therapeutic applications. Conventional oral delivery is not always possible due to first-pass metabolism and degradation in the GI tract. Parenteral delivery is invasive and has poor patient compliance. Transdermal delivery provides one attractive route of administration. Transdermal administration can achieve the continuous and non-invasive delivery of drugs. However, passive transdermal delivery is restricted to small lipophilic molecules. Active physical-enhancement technologies are being investigated to increase the scope of transdermal delivery to hydrophilic molecules and macromolecules. Recent developments in transdermal technologies, such as microporation, iontophoresis and sonophoresis can enable therapeutic delivery of many drug molecules, biopharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals and vaccines. This review provides an update of recent developments in transdermal delivery focusing on physical-enhancement technologies.

Acute postoperative pain management: focus on iontophoretic transdermal fentanyl

Despite progress in the management of chronic pain, acute pain remains an issue for many postoperative patients. Although patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has demonstrated efficacy and patient satisfaction, current techniques using intravenous (IV) administration present limitations, including the risk of programming errors and the potential to limit patient mobility due to pumps, lines, and tubing. The patient-controlled fentanyl hydrochloride (HCl) iontophoretic transdermal system (fentanyl ITS) was designed to address these concerns. Fentanyl ITS is an innovative, needle-free, self-contained drug-delivery system that uses iontophoretic technology to deliver fentanyl through the skin by application of a low-intensity electrical field. The results of several clinical studies are presented in this review. In three phase 3 placebo-controlled trials, fentanyl ITS was shown to be superior to placebo for the treatment of postoperative pain following major abdominal, orthopedic, and thoracic surgery. The results of one active-comparator phase 3 trial demonstrated comparable safety and efficacy with a standard morphine IV PCA dosing regimen, without significant difference in the side effect profile. Fentanyl ITS represents a safe, easy to use, non-invasive, and convenient alternative to current acute postoperative pain management modalities.

The use of opioids at the end of life: the knowledge level of Dutch physicians as a potential barrier to effective pain management

BACKGROUND

Pain is still one of the most frequently occurring symptoms at the end of life, although it can be treated satisfactorily in most cases if the physician has adequate knowledge. In the Netherlands, almost 60% of the patients with non-acute illnesses die at home where end of life care is coordinated by the general practitioner (GP); about 30% die in hospitals (cared for by clinical specialists), and about 10% in nursing homes (cared for by elderly care physicians).The research question of this study is: what is the level of knowledge of Dutch physicians concerning pain management and the use of opioids at the end of life?

METHODS

A written questionnaire was sent to a random sample of physicians of specialties most often involved in end of life care in the Netherlands. The questionnaire was completed by 406 physicians, response rate 41%.

RESULTS

Almost all physicians were aware of the most basal knowledge about opioids, e.g. that it is important for treatment purposes to distinguish nociceptive from neuropathic pain (97%). Approximately half of the physicians (46%) did not know that decreased renal function raises plasma concentration of morphine(-metabolites) and 34% of the clinical specialists erroneously thought opioids are the favoured drug for palliative sedation.Although 91% knew that opioids titrated against pain do not shorten life, 10% sometimes or often gave higher dosages than needed with the explicit aim to hasten death. About half felt sometimes or often pressured by relatives to hasten death by increasing opioiddosage.The large majority (83%) of physicians was interested in additional education about subjects related to the end of life, the most popular subject was opioid rotation (46%).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the basic knowledge of physicians was adequate, there seemed to be a lack of knowledge in several areas, which can be a barrier for good pain management at the end of life. From this study four areas emerge, in which it seems likely that an improvement can improve the quality of pain management at the end of life for many patients in the Netherlands: 1)palliative sedation; 2)expected effect of opioids on survival; and 3) opioid rotation.

Patient-controlled transdermal iontophoretic fentanyl system as an alternative to intravenous morphine PCA

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous morphine is commonly used to control moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. The US FDA recently approved a transdermal system for patient-controlled iontophoretic delivery of fentanyl as an alternative treatment. Aside from the route of administration, other differences between these systems may result in differing adverse-effect profiles. This review compares the clinical utility of these two modalities. MEDLINE, Cinahl and Google Scholar searches for clinical trials (1982 through to July 2007) were performed. Search terms included transdermal analgesia, iontophoresis, patient-controlled analgesia, IONSYS™ and E-TRANS®. All trials comparing intravenous morphine PCA with the transdermal iontophoretic fentanyl system (fentanyl ITS) were included. CONSORT diagrams and adverse-event frequencies were available in all cases. Results demonstrated that fentanyl ITS and intravenous PCA morphine are equally effective analgesics for the management of acute postoperative pain. Fentanyl ITS is associated with fewer treatment failures due to adverse events (p = 0.046), less pruritus (p = 0.001) and less somnolence (p = 0.055). Intravenous PCA morphine is associated with fewer treatment failures due to inadequate analgesia (p = 0.001). It was concluded that fentanyl ITS is an equally safe and effective alternative to intravenous PCA morphine. Advantages favoring fentanyl ITS include convenience and ease-of-care.

Iontophoretic drug delivery system: focus on fentanyl

Fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system (ITS) is a novel, patient-activated drug delivery device used for the management of acute postoperative pain in the hospital setting. This credit-card-sized device uses an imperceptible current of 170 milliampere to actively deliver a fentanyl hydrochloride 40-microg dose into the vasculature over a 10-minute interval. The unit is programmed to lock out further doses after either 80 doses or 24 hours, whichever is reached first. When comparing fentanyl ITS with intravenously administered fentanyl, serum concentrations differ significantly at 10 minutes after the initial dose is administered: 0.1 ng/ml for fentanyl ITS versus 0.7 ng/ml for intravenous fentanyl. Fentanyl ITS absorption increases in a time-dependent fashion over the first 10 hours of dosing. Other pharmacokinetic parameters of fentanyl ITS are comparable to those of intravenous fentanyl after 24 hours (maximum concentration 1.37 and 1.82 microg/ml, time to maximum concentration 0.65 and 0.58 hr, and area under the concentration-time curve at 23-24 hrs 1.23 and 1.34 microg x hr/ml for fentanyl ITS and intravenous fentanyl, respectively,). This new technology exhibited superior analgesia compared with placebo in two placebo-controlled studies that used time to exit as a primary end point. In addition, fentanyl ITS proved equivalent to patient-controlled analgesia with intravenous morphine. Although adverse effects were congruent with those expected from pure-agonist opioids, subjects assigned to the ITS group did experience a higher rate of mild, clinically nonsignificant erythema at the system placement site. Judicious monitoring for opioid-induced respiratory depression is recommended for fentanyl ITS, although this adverse effect has not been observed in clinical trials. Fentanyl ITS may provide another useful alternative in the management of acute postoperative pain.

Fentanyl HCl iontophoretic transdermal system (ITS): clinical application of iontophoretic technology in the management of acute postoperative pain

The fentanyl HCl iontophoretic transdermal system (fentanyl ITS) is a novel patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) system that has been approved in the USA and Europe for the management of acute, moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. This system extends the applicability of transdermal drug delivery to acute pain management, allowing patients to self-administer pre-programmed doses of fentanyl non-invasively through the use of iontophoretic technology. Iontophoresis is the process by which an electric current is used to drive ionized drug molecules across the skin and into the systemic circulation. Results of a recent US clinical trial found the fentanyl ITS to provide pain control equivalent to a standard regimen of morphine i.v. PCA, with a similar incidence of opioid-related adverse events. The fentanyl ITS may offer a number of clinical advantages over existing PCA modalities. Its method of drug delivery avoids the risk of complications from needle-related injuries and infection, and its pre-programmed electronics eliminate the potential for manual programming errors and excessive dosing. In addition, the compact size of the system could enable greater patient mobility following surgery. The fentanyl ITS has the potential to become a valuable option in the management of acute postoperative pain.

Fentanyl HCl patient-controlled iontophoretic transdermal system for the management of acute postoperative pain

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, development, and clinical application of IONSYS, the fentanyl HCl patient-controlled iontophoretic transdermal system for the management of acute postoperative pain.

DATA SOURCES

Clinical literature including both primary sources and review articles was accessed through a search of the MEDLINE databases (1980-October 2006). Key search terms included cutaneous analgesia, fentanyl, IONSYS, opioid, postoperative pain, and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Additional clinical trial and drug data were supplied by the manufacturer, the ALZA Corporation.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

Review articles, abstracts, and clinical studies related to patient-controlled iontophoretic transdermal fentanyl and postoperative pain management were analyzed. An evaluation of the research exploring IONSYS for the management of acute postoperative pain was conducted. Relevant information was then selected and is provided in this article.

DATA SYNTHESIS

IONSYS is the first iontophoretic transdermal drug delivery system that utilizes low-level electrical energy to actively transport ionized fentanyl HCl through intact skin. Research has revealed that use of IONSYS for patients with acute postoperative pain is safe, effective, and well tolerated. Phase I-III trials have demonstrated an appropriate dosing range leading to effective analgesia, with minimal adverse effects. The analgesia provided by this system was found to be superior to that of analgesia placebo and equivalent to that of an intravenous morphine PCA.

CONCLUSIONS

Data from clinical trials indicated that IONSYS is successful in controlling acute postoperative pain that circumvents the limitations of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia. The use of this system may serve as an alternative modality for the management of acute pain without increasing such adverse effects as bleeding, intravenous catheter infiltration, or manual pump malfunction.

Fentanyl Iontophoretic Transdermal System

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive five to six well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to your Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. Subscribers also receive monthly one-page summary monographs on the agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation (DUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent to you in print and CD-ROM forms and are available online. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of your facility. Subscribers to the The Formulary Monograph Service also receive access to a pharmacy bulletin board, The Formulary Information Exchange (The F.I.X.). All topics pertinent to clinical and hospital pharmacy are discussed on The F.I.X.

Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. If you would like information about The Formulary Monograph Service or The F.I.X., call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The October 2006 monograph topics are levetiracetam injection, idursulfase, certolizumab pegol, telbivudine, and etonogestrel implant. The DUE is levetiracetam injection.

Patient-controlled modalities for acute postoperative pain management

Although numerous clinical practice guidelines for pain management have been published throughout the last 12 years, inadequate pain relief remains a significant health care issue. Several patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) modalities are currently available for the treatment of acute postoperative pain, including intravenous (IV) PCA, epidural (PCEA), and oral PCA. Although PCEA and IV PCA are both commonly used modalities, IV PCA is considered the standard of care for postoperative pain management. Limitations of this modality do exist, however. Consequently, noninvasive PCA systems are under development to circumvent many of these limitations, including the fentanyl hydrochloride patient-controlled transdermal system (PCTS); (IONSYS Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Raritan, NJ) and a number of patient-controlled intranasal analgesia (PCINA) delivery systems. The objective of this article is to review the PCA modalities currently in use and to discuss those in development for the treatment of acute postoperative pain.

The fentanyl HCl patient-controlled transdermal system (PCTS): an alternative to intravenous patient-controlled analgesia in the postoperative setting

Inadequate pain control in the postoperative period not only contributes to patient discomfort, but also causes physiological changes that may result in increased risk of myocardial ischaemia, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. These events complicate postoperative recovery and may lead to longer hospital stays as well as increased healthcare costs. Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has emerged as an effective way for patients to manage their pain, allowing self-administration of small doses of analgesics to maintain a certain level of pain control. PCA is most commonly delivered via an intravenous (IV) or epidural route, and while patient satisfaction is higher with PCA than with conventional methods of analgesic administration, the invasiveness, costs and risk of errors associated with currently available modalities may limit their utility. These systems also require significant healthcare resources, as nurses must manually program the pumps to deliver the correct amount of medication. Several new PCA modalities are being developed to address these limitations. These systems deliver drug through a variety of routes, including nasal transmucosal and transdermal. Most notably, a self-contained, credit card-sized, transdermal PCA system is currently in the final stages of development. The fentanyl HCl patient-controlled transdermal system (PCTS; IONSYS, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc., Raritan, NJ) uses an imperceptible, low-intensity direct current to transfer fentanyl on demand across the skin into the systemic circulation. This compact system is patient-activated, can be applied to the patient's upper arm or chest, and is designed to manage moderate-to-severe pain requiring opioid analgesia. The system delivers a preprogrammed amount of fentanyl HCI over 10 minutes, for a total of 80 doses, or for 24 hours, whichever occurs first. The on-demand dosing and pharmacokinetics of this system differentiate it from the passive transdermal formulation of fentanyl designed for the management of chronic pain. Clinical studies have shown that the fentanyl HCl PCTS is effective in the management of acute postoperative pain. These studies have also demonstrated that the system is safe and well tolerated by patients.

Postoperative pain management with a patient-controlled transdermal delivery system for fentanyl

PURPOSE

The efficacy and safety of fentanyl hydrochloride patient-controlled trans-dermal system (PCTS) for management of acute postoperative pain are discussed.

SUMMARY

Fentanyl hydrochloride PCTS is a self-contained, needle-free, credit-card-sized fentanyl-delivery system that is worn on the patient's arm or chest. The system uses iontophoretic technology to actively deliver preprogrammed doses of fentanyl into the systemic circulation when activated by the patient on demand. PCTS is as safe and effective as i.v. morphine patient-controlled analgesia and superior to placebo for managing acute postoperative pain. Fentanyl absorption from PCTS is clinically insignificant when the device is not activated. This contrasts with the transdermal fentanyl patch, which delivers fentanyl continuously for 72 hours via passive absorption and is indicated only for use in the management of chronic pain.

CONCLUSION

Fentanyl hydrochloride PCTS is a self-contained iontophoretic fentanyl-delivery system that provides patients control over pain management and consistent management of pain without analgesic peaks and troughs.