pH, pKa and dermal delivery

The effect of pH on the permeation of ibuprofen and lignocaine through human skin has been modelled using a modification to the equation derived by Potts and Guy, which is normally applied to unionized entities. The results show that permeation is related to the distribution coefficient. The physicochemical properties have been predicted ab initio using commercially available software and compared to literature values. The approach is successful and shows that there is significant permeation of the ionized drugs through a lipophilic pathway, possibly as a result of ion pairing. Since the aqueous solubility of the ionized material is significantly higher than the unionized, the maximum flux through the skin may occur at a pH where ionization is high. Optimum topical or transdermal formulations may not therefore be for the free acid or free base.