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By Rita Okoye
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, as defined by the American Heart Association (AHA), as blood pressure readings consistently at or above 130/80 mm Hg.
The problem is ballooning worldwide: by 2025, an estimated 1.56 billion people will be hypertensive, up from 972 million in 2000. A major concern is a subset of patients with resistant hypertension whose blood pressure remain uncontrolled even after taking three or more medications including a diuretic like amiloride.
Millions of people who struggle to manage a handful of daily blood pressure medications may soon have a simpler alternative: a discreet skin patch worn just once a week. This promising innovation is the result of groundbreaking work led by Oluwatosin “Tabitha” Leshaodo, an emerging leader in topical and transdermal systems delivery research with extensive industry experience.
Leshaodo, who relocated to the United States to deepen her expertise in drug delivery science, is focusing her research on the development of a transdermal patch that administers amiloride, a potassium-sparing diuretic often used in multi-drug therapies for patients whose blood pressure remains dangerously high despite conventional treatment.
“When patients are placed on multiple medications, adherence becomes a major challenge,” said Leshaodo. “Replacing that daily burden with a single patch worn once a week could turn a complex routine into a simpler, more sustainable solution.”
A transdermal patch turns the skin into a gentle, slow-release gateway for medicine, making treatment more convenient and helping patients stick to their therapy.
The Science Behind the Patch
Unlike oral medications, which must navigate the digestive system and undergo first-pass metabolism in the liver, Leshaodo’s transdermal system allows for sustained drug release directly into the bloodstream via the skin. Her laboratory studies identified oleyl alcohol as the most effective among several FDA-approved chemical penetration enhancers, achieving steady delivery of amiloride over 168 hours when tested on porcine skin, a close analog to human tissue.
This promising data has attracted the interest of industry leaders in transdermal therapeutics.
“Our preliminary findings indicate that this platform has strong potential to be upscaled for commercial use,” Leshaodo noted. “With further in vivo trials and pharmacokinetic modeling, we believe this patch could reach human clinical studies within a few years.”
Why It Matters
A once-weekly patch could dramatically reduce the risk of missed doses, which is one of the main reasons hypertensions remains uncontrolled for so many patients. “Transdermal delivery isn’t just about convenience,” Leshaodo explained. “It minimizes side effects caused by fluctuating drug levels and helps maintain steady blood pressure throughout the week.”
Industry experts share this optimism. The global transdermal drug delivery market is expected to expand rapidly as researchers apply emerging technologies like microneedles, iontophoresis, and ultrasound to deliver an even broader range of medications through the skin.
Industry and Institutional Recognition
Leshaodo’s innovation has caught the attention of pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and investors seeking scalable solutions in cardiovascular care. A product development manager at a U.S. based transdermal delivery company, speaking on background, stated:
“This is exactly the type of non-invasive, adherence-friendly solution the industry is looking for especially for chronic conditions like resistant hypertension where pill fatigue is a real issue.”
Her work has also received support from the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), where she recently presented at the AAPS PharmSci 360 conference an annual event that highlights breakthrough pharmaceutical research with strong commercial promise.
“The science behind this patch is robust,” Leshaodo said. “With the right partners, we can translate it from the lab to the clinic, giving patients with resistant hypertension a safer, more convenient way to manage their blood pressure.”
What’s Next
Backed by collaborators and advisors in pharmaceutical sciences and biomedical engineering, Leshaodo is currently advancing the research into animal model studies and pharmacokinetic profiling, with the goal of entering early-phase clinical trials.
“The science behind this patch is robust,” she said. “With the right partners, we can translate it from the lab to the clinic, giving patients with resistant hypertension a safer, easier way to control their blood pressure.”
