Transdermal agomelatine microemulsion gel: pyramidal screening, statistical optimization and in vivo bioavailability

Agomelatine is a new antidepressant having very low oral drug bioavailability less than 5% due to being liable to extensive hepatic 1st pass effect. This study aimed to deliver agomelatine by transdermal route through formulation and optimization of microemulsion gel. Pyramidal screening was performed to select the most suitable ingredients combinations and then, the design expert software was utilized to optimize the microemulsion formulations. The independent variables of the employed mixture design were the percentages of capryol 90 as an oily phase (X(1)), Cremophor RH40 and Transcutol HP in a ratio of (1:2) as surfactant/cosurfactant mixture ‘S(mix)’ (X(2)) and water (X(3)). The dependent variables were globule size, optical clarity, cumulative amount permeated after 1 and 24 h, respectively (Q1 and Q(24)) and enhancement ratio (ER). The optimized formula was composed of 5% oil, 45% S(mix) and 50% water. The optimized microemulsion formula was converted into carbopol-based gel to improve its retention on the skin. It enhanced the drug permeation through rat skin with an enhancement ratio of 37.30 when compared to the drug hydrogel. The optimum ME gel formula was found to have significantly higher C(max), AUC (0–24 h) and AUC(0–∞) than that of the reference agomelatine hydrogel and oral solution. This could reveal the prosperity of the optimized microemulsion gel formula to augment the transdermal bioavailability of agomelatine.