Administration of micronized caffeine using a novel oral delivery film results in rapid absorption and electroencephalogram suppression

Route of administration is well known to impact factors ranging from absorption and distribution, up through the subjective effects of active ingredients. Different routes of administration confer specific advantages, such as more rapid absorption resulting from intravenous injection, or increased convenience with oral administration, but a combination of both rapid and convenient delivery is highly desirable. QuickStripTM was designed as a rapidly dissolving thin film matrix that contains active ingredients, which may be promising for rapid and convenient delivery via the oral mucosa. To assess the delivery of QuickStripTM we administered the well characterized active ingredient caffeine to mice, and compared QuickStripTM to standard oral gavage delivery at an equivalent dose of 20 mg kg-1. Using HPLC assessment of serum concentrations of caffeine we found that QuickStripTM delivery resulted in higher serum levels of caffeine at 1, 10, and 30 minutes following administration compared to gavage. QuickStripTM also produced greater bioavailability compared to gavage as demonstrated by Area Under the Curve analysis. Caffeine delivered by QuickStripTM produced robust behavioral activation of locomotion, consistent with gavage caffeine. EEG assessment of central nervous system effects demonstrated that both gavage and QuickStripTM caffeine produced suppression of delta and theta, consistent with prior literature on the effects of caffeine. In addition, QuickStripTM produced a more rapid onset of EEG suppression, supporting the more rapid absorption demonstrated in the serum studies. Collectively these studies suggest that QuickStripTM may provide a balance between convenience and rapid onset offering new options for delivery of therapeutics.