Yakugaku zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
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Sulfonylureas are widely used as oral hypoglycemic drugs in the treatment of non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Since sulfonylureas are usually taken for a long period, the compliance of the patients is very important. Therefore, for the improvement of the compliance of the patients, the development of a transdermal dosage form of sulfonylureas was attempted in this study. ⋯ At the all measuring points, the GLI ointment brought about significantly lower blood glucose levels than the control (p < 0.01). Thus, it was demonstrated that sulfonylureas were absorbed through the skin and lowered the blood glucose levels. The results suggest the possibility of transdermal administration of sulfonylureas for the treatment of NIDDM.