Inception and Development
Emsam's development was spearheaded by J. Alexander Bodkin, M.D., Director of the Clinical Psychopharmacology Research Program at McLean Hospital in Belmont MA, in conjunction with Harvard Medical School. Currently, it is the only MAOI on the market used in the treatment of depression that is absorbed through the skin into the blood stream and thereby to the central nervous system.
The patch "is a matrix containing three layers consisting of a backing, an... adhesive drug layer, and a release liner that is placed against the skin." The primary advantage of delivering selegiline in this manner is to bypass the gastrointestinal tract and liver, specifically the small intestine, thereby limiting the chance of hypertensive crisis (very high spike in blood pressure possibly leading to stroke).
"Despite long-standing concerns over hypertensive reactions,... (MAOIs) have grown in popularity... (and) the risk of hypertensive episodes is less than 1%."
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