Development and Characterization of Polymeric Microneedles for Transdermal Delivery of Meglitinide Drugs

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia and associated with severe complications such as cardiovascular diseases, nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy. Among available therapeutic agents, meglitinide drugs including repaglinide and nateglinide, are widely used for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus because of their rapid insulin secretagogue activity. However, conventional oral administration of these drugs is limited by extensive hepatic first-pass metabolism, low bioavailability, short half-life, gastrointestinal side effects, and frequent dosing requirements. To overcome these limitations, polymeric microneedle-based transdermal drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising and minimally invasive alternative.