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Combining drugs is an efficient tool in fighting bacterial infections. It has been proven to enable an increased antimicrobial activity compared to mono-drug therapies. Current commercial dressings for treatment of infected wounds provide delivery of one drug only. Therefore, there is an obvious need to develop a technology enabling incorporation and release of two and more actives. Ideally, such technology should prevent potential cross-reactions between the drugs during long-term storage. Here, a concept of drug compartmentalization within distinct glycerol domains of glycerol-silicone elastomer membranes is presented. Multiple drugs are encapsulated within different types of glycerol domains hampering any cross-reactions. The drugs are simultaneously released upon contact with aqueous media and the release kinetics can be precisely adjusted by tuning various material parameters, such as glycerol content and membrane thickness. Ultimately, the drug release capabilities and the antimicrobial potential are evaluated against a variety of bacteria in an agar diffusion assay. The membranes are proven effective against different bacterial species, which confirms the efficiency of release even at minimum moisture levels. The glycerol-silicone platform technology enables delivery of virtually unlimited combinations of drugs from different drug families (e.g., antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and pain relief agents) facilitating new ways of treating wound disorders.

Controlling drug delivery from medical dressings to wounds remains a challenge despite the presence of multiple drug-containing wound dressings on the market. The dressing should ideally be effective immediately after application and still show no burst effect, and must also be comfortable for an extended period of time. Here, a silicone-based membrane is shown to offer an adjustable, constant release of various drugs even at a minimum moisture level resembling that of dry wounds. The drugs are dissolved in glycerol, which is speed-mixed with silicone and subsequently cured to yield a solid membrane with evenly distributed glycerol microcontainers housing the drug. The drugs are released immediately upon contact with moisture, enabling efficient treatment with short response time and no burst. Drug delivery capability is evaluated using a classical drug release experiment, as well as by performing an antimicrobial susceptibility test on ten bacterial strains in agar diffusion assays. Results show that glycerol–silicone membranes are promising candidates for fighting bacterial infections. Moreover, the addition of glycerol domains to a silicone matrix is proven to have a positive impact on water vapor transmission rate and moisture handling capabilities, resulting in a more skin compliant dressing.