With patient-centricity in focus

Non-adherence to topical treatment is universally recognised as a public health problem. Non-adherence leads to sub-optimal health outcomes, lower quality of life, and ultimately higher healthcare costs. One of the key factors driving patient adherence is the patient-friendliness of topical formulations. For topicals, this aspect is directly linked to the cosmetic and galenic properties of the formulation, like the smell and the appearance, the (after)feeling on the skin (greasy, tacky, shiny), but also the time needed for the application as well as convenience of application (spreadability, absorption time etc.). One possible strategy to improve topical treatment adherence is with patient-centric drug design.