Transdermal nanoemulsion · Founded 2021

Local anaesthesia through the skin, released steadily for 48 hours.

LidoNano is an alginate-based oil-in-water nanoemulsion that carries lidocaine across the skin. It is designed for longer-lasting topical pain relief where lidocaine's poor skin penetration limits today's products.

See the solutionView the results
<150 nmnanoemulsion droplet diameter
90%drug released within 24 h
48 hsustained release window
Formulation profile At a glance
Oil phaseOleic acid, beeswax or coconut oil
3 oils
SurfactantNon-ionic Tween 80
Tween 80
Water phaseSodium alginate for extended release
Alginate
Why it matters: Lidocaine suits transdermal delivery, but it penetrates the skin poorly on its own.
The problem

Lidocaine struggles to get through the skin

A good transdermal candidate is held back by the skin barrier.

Poor penetration

Lidocaine is a promising local anaesthetic for transdermal use, but its skin penetration is poor.

Short relief

A formulation that releases quickly and then stops gives only a short window of numbness.

Formulation trade-offs

Oil type, oil level and surfactant level all change droplet size, release and permeation.

Our solution

A nanoemulsion tuned for skin delivery

LidoNano combines a nano-sized oil phase with an alginate water phase to carry lidocaine into the skin and release it over time.

Carrier

Nano-sized droplets

<150 nmdroplet diameter by DLS and cryo-TEM
  • Oil-in-water nanoemulsion
  • Made by ultrasound with phase inversion temperature
  • Most formulations stayed below 150 nm after 6 months
Release

Sustained delivery

48 hrelease sustained over this period
  • About 90% released within 24 h
  • Initial burst followed by steady release
  • Extended release attributed to alginate
Stability

Charged, stable droplets

−71 mVaverage zeta potential
  • Well beyond the ±30 mV stability threshold
  • Cryo-TEM showed droplets around 50 nm
  • Tween 80 gave the smallest droplets
How it works

How LidoNano is made and tested

A simple low-energy process followed by membrane and skin testing.

  1. 1

    Choose the oil

    Oleic acid, beeswax and coconut oil were compared as the oil phase.

    Oil phase3 oils
  2. 2

    Emulsify

    Ultrasound combined with the phase inversion temperature method forms the nanoemulsion.

    UltrasoundPIT method
  3. 3

    Stabilise with alginate

    Sodium alginate in the water phase supports encapsulation and extends release.

    AlginateTween 80
  4. 4

    Test release and permeation

    Release and permeation were measured through a PDMS membrane and pig skin.

    PDMSPig skin
Results

What the laboratory study showed

In vitro release tests through a synthetic membrane and ex vivo permeation through pig skin.

<150 nmdroplet diameter
~50 nmdroplets seen by cryo-TEM
90%released within 24 h
48 hsustained release
−71 mVaverage zeta potential

Source: Sarheed et al., Molecules 26(9), 2556 (2021). doi:10.3390/molecules26092556

Who it's for

Who LidoNano could help

Longer-lasting topical anaesthesia has uses across care settings.

Patients

  • Needle-free local anaesthesia
  • Relief that may last longer
  • Applied on the skin

Clinicians

  • Minor procedures on the skin
  • Topical pain management
  • Fewer reapplications if release holds

Formulation partners

  • Low-energy manufacturing route
  • Tunable oil and surfactant ratios
  • Platform for other poorly penetrating drugs
Where we are

Where the evidence stands

LidoNano is at the laboratory formulation stage.

Laboratory data only

Results come from membrane and pig skin tests, not from human skin in living people.

No clinical efficacy yet

Onset, depth and duration of numbness have not been measured in patients.

Formulation choice ahead

Several oil and surfactant ratios were tested, and one lead product still has to be selected and scaled.

The team

The team

Founded in 2021 by the research team behind the alginate lidocaine nanoemulsion study.

OS

Omar Sarheed

Co-author of the LidoNano research.

MD

Manar Dibi

Co-author of the LidoNano research.

KR

Kanteti V. R. N. S. Ramesh

Co-author of the LidoNano research.

MD

Markus Drechsler

Co-author of the LidoNano research.

Frequently asked questions

What is a nanoemulsion?

It is a mix of oil droplets in water where the droplets are only nanometres wide. In LidoNano they are under 150 nm.

Why add alginate?

Sodium alginate in the water phase was linked to the extended release and better encapsulation of lidocaine.

How long does release last?

In laboratory tests about 90% of the drug was released within 24 h, with release sustained over 48 h.

Was it tested on skin?

Yes, on pig skin and a PDMS membrane in the laboratory. It has not been tested in people.

Is LidoNano a medicine I can buy?

No. It is a research-stage formulation that still needs clinical testing and approval.

The research

Peer-reviewed science behind LidoNano.

Read the full study behind the product.

Read the paper

Sarheed, O., Dibi, M., Ramesh, K. V. R. N. S., & Drechsler, M. (2021). Fabrication of alginate-based o/w nanoemulsions for transdermal drug delivery of lidocaine: Influence of the oil phase and surfactant. Molecules, 26(9), 2556.

https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26092556