Photoirritation and Photoallergic Potential of a New Nicotine Patch

An evaluation on the phototoxic potential of a newly developed nicotine patch after a single dose application followed by UV exposure, and an evaluation on the photoallergenic potential of the new nicotine patch after multiple dose applications followed by UV exposure.

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy males and females between 18 and 65 years.
• Heavy smokers (more than 10 cigarettes per day) and willing to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked during the course of the study.
• Having had no febrile or infectious illness for at least seven days prior to the first administration of the investigational product.
• Women practicing one or a combination of the following methods of birth control: hormonal contraceptives, condoms, sponge, foams, jelly, diaphragm, or intrauterine device, or women who are surgically sterilized.
• Subjects having normal skin without excessive hair growth on tested areas and baseline score in skin reaction assessment of "0" on tested areas.
• Skin type I, II, or III according to Fitzpatrick.
• Evaluable MED (the lowest dose to produce mild erythema with visible borders) to UVB.
• Evidence of a personally signed and dated informed consent document indicating that the subjects have been informed of all pertinent aspects of the trial.
• Subjects who are willing to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan and other trial procedures.

Exclusion criteria

• Any visible skin disorder, abnormal skin pigmentation, fissure or injury of the skin, which, in the opinion of the investigator, would interfere with the results of the trial.
• History of dermatological disease or medical conditions (in particular, any immunosuppression) which could, in the opinion of the investigator, preclude topical application of the investigational products and/or interfere with the evaluation of the test site reaction.
• History of clinically relevant psoriasis, chronic dermatitis or urticaria.
• Clinically relevant abnormal findings from the physical examination.
• Pregnant (verified by beta-HCG-test in urine) and/or nursing women.
• Any suspicion or evidence of current alcohol or drug abuse or history of alcohol or drug abuse within the last three years.
• Any current or past history of chronic or recurrent metabolic, renal, hepatic, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, neurological, endocrinological (including pheochromocytoma), immunological, psychiatric or cardiovascular disease, myopathies, epileptic seizures and bleeding tendency.
• Recent myocardial infarct (within last 3 months), unstable or deteriorating angina pectoris, coronary artery vasospasm (Prinzmetal's angina), serious cardiac arrhythmias, and acute stroke.
• History of myopathies or epileptic seizures.
• Use of any medication within four weeks prior to the first treatment or during the trial, which, in the opinion of the investigator, may influence the trial results or the safety of the subjects.
• Use of systemic or topical analgesics or antihistamines within 72 hours prior to trial enrollment (except paracetamol) or systemic or topical corticosteroids within three weeks of trial enrollment.
• Subjects having used nicotine products other than cigarettes within the three months preceding the trial.
• Participation in the treatment phase of a clinical trial within 30 days prior to the treatment phase of this trial, or within 10 times the respective elimination half-life of the investigational drug.
• Subjects who cannot avoid, throughout the duration of the trial, any swimming, any washing of the lower back (i.e., the areas which to be patched and/or irradiated during this study), usage of sauna or any intense physical activity that might result in excessive sweating.
• Any history of drug hypersensitivity, asthma, urticaria, or other severe allergic diathesis as well as current hay fever.
• Known sensitivity to adhesive tape.
• Known sensitivity to any component of the test products.
• History of irritation to topically applied products.