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Drugs Information

The Catapres patch represents a transdermal therapeutical system. It is available as a 0.2 mm thick film that contains several layers. The active ingredient of this film is named clonidine. There are three options of this film available. Each of them has a different concentration of the active ingredient, as well as a different system area. The three types have 0.1 (on 3.5 cm2), 0.2 (on 7 cm2) and 0.3 (on 10 cm2) mg of clonidine.

The Layers of the Patch

The Catapres patch consists of four layers. They are described in order, from the visible surface to the one that is applied on the skin. The first layer is made of pigmented polyester and aluminum. Under it is a reservoir that contains the clonidine, the active agent. In addition, the reservoir also contains mineral oil, polyisobutylene, and colloidal silicon dioxide. The third layer consists of a micro porous membrane made of polypropylene. This membrane manages the amount of clonidine that is released from the system to the skin. The fourth layer also contains clonidine, mineral oil, colloidal silicon dioxide and polyisobutylene. The difference between the latter and the reservoir is that the layer that touches the skin is adhesive.

The Way It Works

The patch must deliver the active agent at a constant rate for a week. When the patch is applied, the adhesive layer soaks the skin with clonidine. The difference between the concentration found in the skin and the concentration found is the reservoir represents the energy necessary to the active agent so that it is released. The active agent circulates is projected to circulate from the higher concentration to the lower one at a constant pace. The amount that is released is managed by the membrane found in the third layer. Clonidine gets from the reservoir to the systemic circulation of the bodies through some blood vessels found in the skin. The plasma clonidine levels achieve optimal values only after 2 or 3 days after applying the patch. Because the amount of active agent that is contained in the reservoir and in the fourth layer is higher than the amount that is delivered, the release of clonidine for seven days at a constant pace is assured. If a patch is not applied soon after the old one finishes, the plasma clonidine levels will remain constant for nearly eight hours. After that, the levels begin to decrease in a slow manner for many days. As a consequence, the blood pressure becomes the same as before the treatment.