DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF APREMILAST MICROEMULSIONAS A POTENTIAL DOASGE FORM FOR THE EFFICIENT TREATMENT OF PSORIATIC NAIL DYSTROPHY THROUGH TRANSUNGUAL ROUTE

The aim of present study was to develop microemulsion formulation of apremilast for the topical treatment of nail psoriasis, a challenging condition due to the nail’s dense structure limiting drug penetration. Apremilast, a PDE4 inhibitor, offers an effective systemic approach but faces bioavailability challenges and potential side effects when administered orally. To address these issues, apremilast-loaded microemulsion was formulated using oleic acid, Tween 80 and PEG 600, optimized through a Box-Behnken design. The resulting microemulsion exhibited desirable characteristics, including particle size, PDI, and zeta potential, indicative of stability and effective drug delivery. In-vitro studies revealed an 81.63% drug release over 24 hours, highlighting the formulation’s sustained release capabilities. Ex-vivo transungual permeation tests using goat hoof membranes further supported enhanced drug permeation to the target site, outperforming the pure drug suspension. These findings suggest that apremilast-loaded microemulsion can provide a more targeted, efficient, and safer alternative for nail psoriasis therapy, improving patient compliance through topical application. This novel approach has potential implications for enhanced nail disease management and future topical drug delivery advancements.