Annual Press Conference: Innovation I - Transdermal therapeutic systems as a growth market

Taking medications is bothersome to many people. Some have problems swallowing pills. Others, especially the elderly, sometimes tend toward forgetfulness and miss a dose or completely forget a medication prescribed by their doctor – which can have major adverse effects on their recovery. Another serious disadvantage of medications taken orally is that they deliver the necessary active ingredient unevenly to the patient: After the patient takes a pill, the patient’s blood plasma level of the active ingredient generally rises very quickly, sometimes even above the upper limit of the “therapeutic window,” only to quickly drop back down again. This means that patients sometimes receive too much, and sometimes too little, of the medication.

Maximum effectiveness – minimal side effects
Help is at hand, in the form of transdermal therapeutic systems (TTS). A TTS is a patch containing an active ingredient. Once adhered to a patient’s skin, the patch delivers the active ingredient locally or to the bloodstream. In this way, transdermal therapeutic systems are comparable to infusions, but without the use of injections or needles. The advantages: The “first pass effect” (in which the liver metabolizes the drug and breaks it down) that is typical of pills does not apply. When administered via the skin, the drug reaches the site where it is supposed to act first, and does not reach the liver until afterward. This minimizes side effects; the liver is exposed to less strain and the effectiveness of the medication within the therapeutic window is maximized. In addition, the frequency with which patients are required to take the medication can be reduced considerably, for example by using patches that last one or more days instead taking multiple pills every day.

Double-digit growth rates

The first TTS – used to treat motion sickness, vertigo, and nausea – was approved in 1981. Today, there are more than 35 products for transdermal use on the market worldwide, all based on about a dozen approved active ingredients. The biggest segment of the market is made up of products to relieve pain. In 2007, worldwide sales of pharmaceutical patches amounted to about five billion euros. And according to analyses by renowned market research institute Jain PharmaBiotech, the global TTS market will continue to post double-digit growth rates into the future.

Tapping into highly profitable markets for the future

Today’s transdermal therapeutic systems mainly consist of an adhesive matrix that contains the active ingredient, a covering layer to protect it against external or environmental influences, and a removable protective film that is peeled off before the TTS is applied to the skin. With its acquisition of Labtec Gesellschaft für technologische Forschung und Entwicklung mbH in November 2008, tesa SE took another logical next step in its strategy of tapping into highly profitable markets of the future in the industrial business. The new wholly owned tesa affiliate, a mid-sized company based in the German town of Langenfeld, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, not only specializes in research and development work for numerous pharmaceutical companies, but also in the TTS market.

A significant role in the business-to-business segment

Development and production of adhesive tapes and highly specialized self-adhesive system solutions based on state-of-the-art coating technology: For more than 100 years, that has been the business of tesa SE. “The competencies of tesa and Labtec are an optimum fit for each other, especially in the area of the development of innovative coated treatment systems, which combine polymer chemistry and medical expertise,” explains Dr. Robert Gereke, head of the Industry division at tesa. “tesa SE is extremely well prepared to take on a significant international role in the future in this highly interesting business-to-business segment involving the healthcare sector.”