Penetration enhancers

Abstract

Pharmaceutical compositions for enhancing absorption of a topically administered formulation through dermal or mucosal membrane, for local or systemic application, comprising one or more agents of formula I: ##STR1## where: R is a saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched, cyclic or acyclic hydrocarbon group with from 1 to 19 carbon atoms or an alkoxyalkyl group; n is 2-20; X is selected from H, OR.sub.2 or NR.sub.2 R.sub.3 ; wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are independently selected from H, alkyl, haloalkyl, acyl, carbalkoxy, carbalkoxyalkyl, hydroyalkyl, acyloxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, aminoalkyl- and acylaminoalkyl; i) with the proviso that when n is 2, X is OR.sub.2 and R.sub.2 is H, then R.sub.1 is not hydroxyalkyl, specifically, 2-hydroxyethyl; and ii) with the proviso that when n is 2 and X is NR.sub.2 R.sub.3, then R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 may combine to form a heterocyclic ring and R.sub.3 is not acyl; and iii) with the proviso that when X is NR.sub.2 R.sub.3, then R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 may combine to form a heterocyclic ring; iv) with the proviso that when R is an alkoxyalkyl group then X may be hydrogen and when X is not hydrogen, and v) with the proviso that when X is H, R is not alkyl and R.sub.1 is not H and alkyl then R.sub.1 and X may combine to form heterocyclic ring and methods of using the same are disclosed.