| abstract |
A pharmaceutical formulation for use in therapy by the topical administration of a therapeutic agent to a mammalian patient, the formulation being a tablet and comprising: a unit dose of a therapeutically effective amount of the therapeutic agent; and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier medium, in which the formulation is solid at room temperature and has a softening point of 30 ° C to no higher than 35 ° C, which is to be placed in continuous contact with an area of the patient's skin that is going treating and rubbing against said area with an application pressure that does not cause substantial irritation to said area, whereby the formulation softens or melts to effect the application of the unit dose of said therapeutic agent on a desired skin area of the patient in a period of less than 5 minutes, and in which the carrier medium comprises or consists essentially of cocoa butter or one or more glycerides, in which the glycerides can be monoglycerides, diglycerides or triglycerides, preferably in which the glycerides comprise glycerol esters of C8-C18 fatty acids or polyglycollated glycerides. |