The College of Pharmacy discussed the Ph.D. Dissertation tagged “Formulation, Characterization, and Ex-Vivo Permeation Study of Tolmetin as Transdermal Niosomal Gel” by the student Ala’a Dheia Noor and her supervisor Professor Dr. Nawal Ayash Rajab in the pharmaceutics department. The aim of the dissertation was to develop tolmetin niosomes as a vesicular carrier with a long duration of action and to reduce the gastrointestinal adverse effects of multiple doses by incorporating the optimal formulation into a gel base for transdermal application. The dissertation included the preparation of niosomes by the thin-film hydration method. Several formulation variables were studied, such as the quantity of the drug, the type of non-ionic surfactant, the amount of the surfactant, the amount of cholesterol, the effect of ultrasonic sonication, and the time of sonication. The best niosomal formula was incorporated into a gel base, then evaluated and studied for its ex-vivo skin permeability, skin sensitivity test, and pharmacological effect on rats, in addition to studying the effect of storage conditions at three different temperatures. The results proved that the gel containing niosomes of tolmetin showed improved specifications, high skin permeability, and no skin sensitivity, in addition to being stable under storage conditions. Therefore, niosomes could be one of the most promising delivery systems for tolmetin, with improved penetration and sustained delivery within 24 hours.
