Cosmed Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City; President: Young-sook Kwon) has announced the completion of the industry's first fully hollow microneedle and will begin offering OEM/ODM services from July 2026. The company, which pioneered the world's first dissolving microneedle as a cosmetic product in 2008, has continued to evolve microneedle forms and diversify products, leading the market. With over 100 OEM/ODM clients, Cosmed is a trusted manufacturer for microneedle product development. **Fully Hollow Microneedle** The fully hollow microneedle is a new form applying the company's medical device technology. It features a unique design that precisely injects high-molecular and low-molecular ingredient solutions, which are difficult to penetrate through simple application, into the skin. This adds new value to cosmetic and quasi-drug microneedle products. **Features** 1. Industry-first fully hollow design 2. Maximum 74 needles 3. Sharp needle shape with large needle area 4. Needle length tailored to application site 5. Safe medical polymer material
6. Custom-developed adapter for stable use All 74 needles are hollow, enabling solution discharge from every needle, significantly improving ingredient delivery. Leveraging Cosmed's medical device microneedle technology, the device achieves high ingredient penetration into the stratum corneum with minimal invasiveness. **Specifications** Two types are available: for face (needle length: 200 μm) and for scalp (needle length: 600 μm). The needle tip is designed with a diameter of 180–200 μm for safety. Customizable internal solutions can be developed for concepts such as spots, wrinkles, and hair growth, applicable as cosmetics or quasi-drugs. - **Face (200 μm)**: Needle length 200 μm, material medical polymer (PET, PP, COP, POM), capacity 2.5 mL, discharge per push 0.0047 mL, 74 needles, fully hollow type, intended for eye area, mouth area, cheeks, chin, etc. - **Scalp (600 μm)**: Needle length 600 μm, material medical polymer (PET, PP, COP, POM), capacity 6.0 mL, discharge per push 0.018 mL, 74 needles, fully hollow type, intended for scalp, body, etc. **Verification Test Data** **(1) Ingredient Penetration Comparison: Fully Hollow Microneedle vs. Application** In an in vitro test using human skin, penetration was measured 5 minutes after administration. The formulation contained dipotassium glycyrrhizinate 0.05% and sodium hyaluronate 0.01%. The microneedle delivered 1 push, while application used 2.0 mg/cm². After wiping residual liquid, tape stripping extracted penetrated agents from the stratum corneum. Results showed that the fully hollow microneedle achieved approximately 5 times higher penetration of low-molecular ingredients compared to application. For high-molecular ingredients, the microneedle enabled penetration that was not observed with application.
**(2) Wrinkle Total Volume Change with Fully Hollow Microneedle** In an evaluation using a formulation containing niacinamide and acetyl hexapeptide-8, the total wrinkle volume decreased by approximately 30% after 2 weeks of use, indicating a reduction in overall wrinkle impression. **(3) Skin Safety Test** Four internal monitors used the fully hollow microneedle product daily on eye area, crow's feet, cheeks, and chin for 2 consecutive weeks. Visual observation and skin irritation indicators (transepidermal water loss) confirmed no skin irritation and safety for all participants. **Cosmed Pharmaceutical's Microneedle Technology** The company now offers three forms: "stick," "apply," and "inject." With expertise in TTS (transdermal therapeutic system) R&D, Cosmed creates market-competitive products with clients. **Manufacturing** Cosmed's mother factory, Kichijoji Plant (Minami-ku, Kyoto), holds ISO 22716 (cosmetics GMP) and ISO 13485 (medical devices) certifications. It has an integrated production system from solution manufacturing to needle production, assembly, and packaging. In March 2026, the company's microneedle manufacturing process technology received the Excellent Award at the 10th Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Awards from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. **About Cosmed Pharmaceutical**
A venture company from Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, specializing in TTS R&D. Core technologies include microneedles and patches, with business in medical, pharmaceutical, beauty, and health fields. Company Name: Cosmed Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Headquarters: GRAND KYOTO 3F, 75 Nishi-ku, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8438, Japan Representative: President Young-sook Kwon Established: May 30, 2001 Corporate Site: https://cosmed-pharm.co.jp *1 Company survey as of May 2026: Among injection-type microneedle cosmetics in Japan *2 Up to the stratum corneum *3 From the journal "Pharmaceutics" published by the Academy of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Japan
Source: Read the original report | Published: May 28, 2026