Importance

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Abstract

A medical device and method for the pulsatile administration of a drug through intact skin at a first steady state flux during a first delivery period and a second steady state flux during a second delivery period, said first flux being substantially higher than said second flux; said first and second delivery periods comprising a substantial portion of a predetermined administration period. The device comprises a reservoir of said drug containing an amount of drug sufficient to administer drug at said first and second steady state fluxes during administration period; a reservoir of a skin permeation enhancer for said drug; said reservoir containing an amount of said permeation enhancer sufficient to permit administration of said drug at said first flux only through said first delivery period; and means for maintaining said device on the skin in drug and permeation enhancer transferring relationship thereto a preferred embodiment delivering nitroglycerin and employing ethanol as a permeation enhancer. The device contains means for controlling the maximum delivery rate of one of said drug or enhancer. A preferred embodiment provides for the pulsatile delivery of nitroglycerin.

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First Claim