- In January 2021, a Duke-led team of scientists developed a biocompatible surgical patch that delivers non-opioid medicines to the wound site for days before dissolving. The novel polymer patch administers a regulated release of a medication that blocks the enzyme COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2,) which is responsible for inflammation and pain
- In July 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has approved an 8 percent capsaicin patch for the treatment of neuropathic pain in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet. The patch is a non-opioid, non-systemic, and topical pain therapy that is thought to be the sole way to deliver prescription-strength capsaicin to the patient's skin
