Development of Delivery Systems for the Topical Passive and Iontophoretic Administration of Minoxidil for Androgenic Alopecia Treatment

The study explored the use of polymeric microparticles and iontophoresis to enhance the delivery of minoxidil sulfate (MXS) for treating androgenic alopecia. It was found that iontophoresis significantly increased the passive flux of MXS through the skin by 150 times and improved its retention in hair follicles. The study also developed chitosan microparticles with high encapsulation efficiency (~82%) that sustained MXS release 3.5 times longer and increased follicular retention by 5 times. Iontophoresis further enhanced follicular delivery, increasing MXS retention by 6 times within the first 3 hours, suggesting a more efficient and sustained drug delivery system that could reduce application frequency for patients.