Mimetics and Sungkyunkwan University Jointly Develop Next-Generation Personalized Transdermal Drug Delivery Technology: "Dual-Layer Adhesive Patch"

Mimetics Co., Ltd. (CEO Park Hyungki) participated as an industrial joint research partner with the research team of Professor Bang Changhyun from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (President Yoo Jibeom) to develop the next-generation personalized transdermal drug delivery technology, the "dual-layer adhesive patch."

The development of the "dual-layer adhesive patch," which precisely mimics the protrusion structure inside an octopus sucker and can be loaded with customized cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, was led by Ph.D. candidates Kim Minjin and Song Minwoo (co-first authors) from Professor Bang Changhyun's research team at Sungkyunkwan University. They conducted the structural design and performance verification of the patch, while Mimetics participated as an industrial joint research partner, reviewing its application possibilities and collaborating from a commercialization perspective.

The personalized adhesive patch developed by the research team was inspired by the unique dome-shaped protrusion structure inside octopus suckers. This structure maximizes the skin contact area and generates strong negative pressure, temporarily altering the stratum corneum to facilitate drug penetration.

Traditional methods of applying substances to the skin often suffer from the active ingredients running off due to gravity, or from mask packs and regular skin patches easily detaching due to movement, which limits their use in daily life. To overcome these limitations, the research team utilized inkjet printing technology to develop a personalized adhesive patch that allows users to easily and precisely load their desired active ingredients.

The patch, precisely loaded with hyaluronic acid, demonstrated strong static adhesion, withstanding a weight of 300 grams even when attached vertically. It also successfully delivered drugs stably without detachment, even in environments with strong vibrations equivalent to 3G (gravitational acceleration).

In particular, compared to conventional methods where active ingredients would run off and result in low skin absorption rates, the personalized adhesive patch increased skin absorption rates by up to 10 times even in vertical orientation, and demonstrated overwhelming performance by delivering active ingredients to a maximum depth of 202 micrometers in the skin. In clinical trials, where the patch was attached to the skin for 20 minutes daily over seven days, a significant improvement was observed compared to the control group.

Park Hyungki, CEO of Mimetics, stated, "This research presents an innovative platform capable of stable drug delivery even in situations involving sweating, uneven skin, or intense movement," and added, "We expect this technology to expand into various application fields, including functional cosmetics and therapeutic patches that require continuous management in daily life."

The joint research team plans to systematically analyze delivery efficiency according to various individual skin characteristics such as race, age, and gender, and to further advance the technology as a personalized healthcare solution.

This research was supported by the Mid-Career Researcher Program and the Pan-Ministerial Regenerative Medicine Technology Development Project, both promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, as well as by Mimetics Co., Ltd. The results were published online in 2025 in "Advanced Functional Materials," a world-renowned journal in the field of materials science.