Ever have a burn that causes intense pain and even swelling? It could be from a hot coffee, pizza, or soup. No matter the cause, the pain is undeniable. Fortunately, a dissolvable oral strip is in the works to relieve this type of common pain. The research is being presented at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world’s largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 14 – 18. The University of Texas at Austin and the lead researcher, Jason McConville is in charge of this potential medical breakthrough. According to the article, they designed the strip for controlled delivery of a local anesthetic, benzocaine, and a therapeutic polymer. ‘Benzocaine, commonly used as a topical pain reliever in dental products and throat lozenges, was chosen as for its non-irritating properties.’ Similar to recent “energy strips”, this strip is applied to the location of the burn inside the mouth, and quickly dissolves within minutes. The new goal of the strip- development team is to create something that is longer lasting for burns that occur for more than 2-3 days. They now must try this on humans, and work to create various flavors that are better tasting.
Would this be something you could see yourself using? As an anxious Starbucks drinker, I definitely would. However, I would have to keep them in my purse or car for convenience in hopes that they are there when I burn my mouth. Let me know what YOU think!
Read more at : http://www.eurekalert.org