Iontocaine has been approved as a needle-free anesthetic for use while performing painless dermal surgery. Iontocaine works by causing a loss of feeling or pain sensation in the skin. Iontocaine is transferred through the skin using iontophoresis, a virtually painless procedure that does not require a needle injection. Iontophoresis entails using adhesive pads that are filled with Iontocaine and placed on the skin similar to a bandage. The medication is then transferred using slight, barely noticeable electrical currents through Iomed's drug delivery system. The needle-free application distributes the Iontocaine evenly to the treatment area permitting pain-free procedures.

Iontocaine is approved for both pediatric and dermatology procedures that require anesthesia and will be introduced in certain United States market segments this year. Iontacaine is a solution of 2% lidocaine hydrochloride and epinephrine 1:100,000 produced for Iomed by Abbott Laboratories.

This approval follows extensive clinical trials conducted on nearly 400 adult and pediatric subjects prior to a variety of procedures including dermal biopsies, dermal laser surgery, and veripuncture.