ArticlePolymers2026
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose as a Mucoadhesive Polymer in Ethanol-Free Buprenorphine Gel for Neonatal Sublingual Delivery.
Article in Polymers, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Buprenorphine (BUP) is widely used in the treatment of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). However, the most compounded formulation contains 30% ethanol, despite regulatory and clinical concerns regarding ethanol exposure in pediatric patients. Thus, this research aimed to develop an ethanol-free sublingual (SL) gel formulation of BUP that would be safe, stable, and suitable for NOWS. Multiple polymers were screened as gelling agents, with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) emerging as the ideal base polymer for the formulation due to its optimal pH, rheological characteristics, and stability. The formulated gels were stored at room temperature and refrigerated conditions for 30 days and evaluated for stability using pH, rheology, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. BUP content was between 90-110% of the labeled amount of the dosage form (75 µg/mL) at all time-points, and the pH remained close to physiological values. Release studies demonstrated a drug release of 23-24% for SL gels without surfactants stored at room temperature and refrigerated conditions, respectively. Incorporation of non-ionic surfactants (Tween 20 and Tween 80) significantly increased drug release to 33% and 40%, respectively, reflecting enhanced solubilization and improved mucosal penetration. The ethanol-free formulation demonstrated physicochemical stability and favorable release characteristics suitable for neonatal administration. These findings represent a meaningful advance in the development of safer pediatric formulations for NOWS.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.