- Touro University, California

Institution	Degree	Field of Study	Obtained
Lviv Medical University, Ukraine	MSc	Pharmacy	1986
NorthWest University, South Africa	Ph.D.	Pharmaceutics	2004

Fall Semester•
PHRM 602: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Participating Faculty Member)
PHRM 610: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Participating Faculty Member)

Spring Semester•
PHRM 606: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Participating Faculty Member)
PHRM 614: Pharmaceutical Sciences (Participating Faculty Member)

Currently, there is tremendous interest in the use of physical techniques for transdermal drug delivery. The goal of our research is to investigate various technologies for transdermal drug delivery enhancement. Our experience with various therapeutic agents indicates that passive diffusion through the stratum corneum is difficult especially to hydrophilic and charged compounds. Our future approach is to use mild electric current (iontophoresis) , ultrasound (sonophoresis) and microneedles to increase transcutaneous flux. Iontophoresis uses low-level electric current to drive ionized drug molecules into or through the skin. Typically, the current may be about 0.2 mA/sq cm and is almost imperceptible at this level. By using an electrode of the same polarity as the charge on the drug, the drug is driven into the skin by electrostatic repulsion.
Our second approach is the use of ultrasound (sonophoresis) for flux enhancement. Ultrasound has been shown to enhance transdermal permeability of various drugs. It has been suggested that the enhancement may be due to local heating and/or cavitation i.e. formation and oscillation of small gaseous inclusion. The third approach is through the use of microneedles.These are micron-sized needles that are long enough to porate the stratum corneum but short enough to avoid nerve endings located in the dermis. Thus it is a painelss and minimally invasive technique. Our laboratory will focus on the development of clinically useful formulations by using these techniques.

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Kevin Ita UICC Fellow (2000)

1. J.D. Ladnaya, Kevin Ita (1986) Photocolorimetric determination of soluthizone in Dosage forms and Serum. In: Optimization of Drug Supply and increasing the effectiveness of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ukrainian Academy of sciences pp. 133-134.

2. J.D.Ladnaya, Kevin Ita (1987) Formulation of Soluthizone granules for Children.In: Improving the Process of Drug Research and Production, Russian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research pp. 223-224.

3. K.B.Ita, E.E.Essien, O.E.Offiong (2000) Determination of 2-acetylpyridine (4-phenylthiosemicarbazone) and its metal Complexes-Potential Antineoplastic Agents, West African Journal of Pharmacy, 14, pp.58-60

4. K.B.Ita, J. Du Plessis, J. Hadgraft, J. Du Preez (2003) Skin delivery of acyclovir from elastic liposomes. In: Emerging Health Care Priorities: Towards optimal Drug Therapy. Proceedings of the 24th Congress of the South African Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences

5. K. B. Ita, J. Du Preez, M. E. Lane, J. Hadgraft, J. Du Plessis (2007) Dermal delivery of selected hydrophilic drugs from elastic liposomes: effect of phospholipid concentration and surfactants. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 59, 1215-122

6. K.B.Ita, A.K.Banga (2009) In vitro transdermal iontophoretic delivery of penbutolol sulfate. Drug Delivery, 16:11-14

7. K. Ita, N. Hatsakorzian, and V. Tolstikov (2013) Microneedle-Mediated Delivery of Atenolol and Bisoprolol Hemifumarate J. Nanopharmaceutics Drug Delivery 1, 38-44

8. M. Kaur, K. B. Ita, I. E. Popova, S. J. Parikh, D. A. Bair (2014) Microneedle-assisted delivery of verapamil hydrochloride and amlodipine besylate. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 86, 284-291

9. K.B.Ita (2014) Transdermal Drug Delivery: Progress and Challenges J. Drug Delivery Sci Tech

24(3) 245-250.

10. Nguyen K.T., Ita K.B., Parikh S.J., Popova I. E., Bair D. A (2014) Transdermal Delivery of Captopril and Metoprolol Tartrate with Microneedles. Drug Delivery Letters, 4,236-243.

11. Kim K.S., Ita K., Simon L (2015) Modelling of Dissolving Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 68, 137-143.

12. Ita K.B (2015) Transdermal drug delivery with microneedles-strategies and outcomes. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 29, 16-23.

13. Ita, K.B (2015) Transdermal Delivery of Drugs with Microneedles— Potential and Challenges. Pharmaceutics, 29;7(3):90-105

14. Ita, K.B. (2015) Chemical penetration enhancers for transdermal drug delivery-success and challenges. Current Drug Delivery, 12(6):645-51.

15. Ita, K.B., Popova, I.E.(2015) Influence of sonophoresis and chemical penetration enhancers on percutaneous transport of penbutolol sulfate. Pharmaceutical Development and Technology, Accepted for publication.

16. Ita, K.B (2015) Transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery: advances and challenges. Journal of Drug Targeting, Accepted for publication.

17. Hoang, M.T., Ita, K.B., Bair, D.A. (2015) Solid Microneedles for transdermal delivery of amantadine hydrochloride and pramipexole dihydrochloride, Pharmaceutics, 7(4):379-96

18. Simon L, Ospina J, Ita K(2015) Prediction of In-Vivo Iontophoretic Drug Release Data from In-Vitro Experiments - Insights from Modeling Mathematical Biosciences 270(Pt A):106-14

19. Ita K. (2015) Recent progress in transdermal sonophoresis. Pharmaceutical Development and Technology. 22(4):458-466

20. Ita, K.B. (2015) Transdermal delivery of heparin : physical enhancement techniques. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 496(2):240-9

21. Ita K (2016)Progress in the use of microemulsions for transdermal and dermal drug delivery. Pharmaceutical Development and Technology. 22(4):467-475

22. Ita, K.B. (2016)Prodrugs for transdermal drug delivery- trends and challenges. Journal of Drug Targeting. 24(8):671-8

23. Ita K.B. (2016) Perspectives on transdermal electroporation. Pharmaceutics. ;8(1). pii: E9. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics8010009

24. Ita K.B. (2016) Current status of ethosomes and elastic liposomes in dermal and transdermal drug delivery. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 22(33):5120-5126.

25. Ita K.B. (2016) Reflections on the insertion and fracture forces of microneedles. Current Drug Delivery. 14(3):357-363

26. Ita K.B. (2016) Insights into the percutaneous penetration of antidiabetic agents. Journal of Drug Targeting. 25:102-111

27. Ita K.B. (2016) Transdermal delivery of vaccines- recent progress and critical issues. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 83:1080-1088

28. Ita K.B. (2016) Percutaneous penetration of anticancer agents: past, present and future. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 84:1428-1439

29. Ita K.B. (2016) Recent trends in the transdermal delivery of therapeutic agents used for the management of neurodegenerative diseases. Journal of Drug Targeting. 25:406-419

30. Nguyen J., Ita K.B., Popova I.E., Morra M. (2016) The influence of solid microneedles on the transdermal delivery of selected antiepileptic drugs. Pharmaceutics. ;8(4). pii: E33.

31. Ita K.B. (2017) Dermal/transdermal delivery of small interfering RNA and antisense oligonucleotides- advances and hurdles. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 87: 311-320

32. Ita K.B. (2017) Percutaneous transport of psychotropic agents Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 39: 247-259

33. Ita K.B. (2017) The potential use of transdermal drug delivery for the prophylaxis and management of stroke and coronary artery disease. Pharmacological Reports. 69(6):1322-1327

34. Ita K. B. (2017) Dissolving Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery: Advances and Challenges. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 93:1116-1127

35. Ita K.B. (2017) Transcutaneous Permeation of Antiviral Agents. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 41: 293-302

36. Ita K.B. (2018) Ceramic Microneedles and Hollow Microneedles for Transdermal Drug Delivery: Two Decades of Research. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 44:314-322.

37. Ita K. B. (2018) Modulation of Transdermal Drug Delivery with Coated Microneedles. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 45:203-212

38. Malhi GK , Ita KB, Morra MJ and Inna E Popova (2018) Microneedle-mediated transdermal transport of selected triptans: frovatriptan succinate monohydrate and rizatriptan benzoate Front Nanosci Nanotech 4: DOI: 10.15761/FNN.1000168

39. Ahmad I, Ita KB, Morra MJ and Popova IE(2018) Microneedle-assisted delivery of anti-migraine drugs across porcine skin: almotriptan malate and naratriptan hydrochloride. Front Nanosci Nanotech 4: DOI: 10.15761/FNN.1000169

40. Luu E, Ita KB, Morra MJ, Popova IE (2018) The Influence of Microneedles on the Percutaneous Penetration of Selected Antihypertensive Agents: Diltiazem Hydrochloride and Perindopril Erbumine. Current Drug Delivery. 15 (10):1449-1458

41. Abiandu, I. and K. Ita, Transdermal delivery of potassium chloride with solid microneedles. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 2019. 53: p. 101216.

42. Ghimirey, K.B. and K. Ita, Microneedle-Assisted Percutaneous Transport of Magnesium Sulfate. Curr Drug Deliv, 2019. doi: 10.2174/1567201817666191217093936

43. Ita, K. and S. Ashong, Percutaneous Delivery of Antihypertensive Agents: Advances and Challenges. AAPS PharmSciTech, 2020. 21(2): p. 56.

44. Ita, K.(2020) Polyplexes for Gene and Nucleic Acid Delivery: Progress and Bottlenecks. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105358

45. Ita K (2020) Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Current Status and Prospects for Drug and Vaccine Development. Archives of Medical Research, 2021, 52:15-24 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.09.010

46. Ita, K, Ukaoma M (2020). COVID-19 Vaccines: New Developments and the Road Ahead. Archives of Medical Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arcmed.2020.12.009

47. Ita K (2020) COVID-19 Vaccines: Response to: Regarding the Article: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Current Status and Prospects for Drug and Vaccine Development

48. Ita K, Bassey R, Silva M (2021) Mechanical properties of the skin: What do we know?. Current Cosmetic Science. Accepted for publication.

49. Ita, K. and M. Ukaoma (2022) Progress in the transdermal delivery of antimigraine drugs. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 2022. 68: p. 103064.

Poster Presentations

Nguyen, K.T., Ita, K.B (2014) Influence of microneedles on transdermal delivery of metoprolol tartrate. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, San Diego, California, Abstract M1220.

K.B.Ita (2008) Sonophoretic transport of penbutolol sulfate: In vitro studies Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, Atlanta, Georgia. Abstract no.2237.p 96

K.B.Ita,A.K. Banga (2008) In vitro transdermal iontophoretic delivery of penbutolol sulfate. Annual Meeting of the Controlled Release Society, New York City. Abstract no. 371 p. 71

Fellow, International Union Against Cancer, Tenerife, Spain
Member, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
Member, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
Member, Controlled Release Society

EmployerTitleFrom - ToUniversity of Calabar Teaching HospitalPharmacist-Intern1986-1987General Hospital, Tudun Wada, Kaduna, NigeriaPharmacist1987-1988Flobett Pharmacy, Lagos, NigeriaPharmacist1989-1990Vicon Pharmacy, Calabar, NigeriaPharmacist1991-1993Ansa Eso Pharmacy, Calabar, NigeriaPharmacist1993-1995Lanita Pharmacy, Calabar, NigeriaPharmacist1995-1996University of La Laguna, Tenerife, SpainUICC Fellow2000University of Uyo/Dept. of PharmaceuticsLecturer1997-2002Touro University – California / College of PharmacyAssistant Professor2006-now

Faculty & Staff at TUC

Kevin Ita