The global nasal spray market is undergoing significant growth and is projected to reach over $59.41 billion by 2032.
One of the factors driving this growth is rising allergies due to urbanisation, which leads to higher allergen exposure.
This, in turn, drives demand for locally acting nasal sprays that provide targeted relief.
Another key propellant of this growth is the integration of pharmaceutical innovation and advanced analytical technologies, transforming how nasal sprays are developed, regulated and delivered.
As demand for non-invasive, fast-acting drug delivery rises, nasal sprays are expanding beyond congestion and allergies to include biologics, peptides, vaccines and central nervous system therapies.
The MHRA approval of EURneffy, a needle-free epinephrine nasal spray for treating severe allergic reactions, marked a major milestone in 2025 for nasal-based drug delivery systems.
The first approved alternative to the EpiPen, EURneffy marks a shift in patient accessibility, plus highlights growing confidence in nasal spray safety and effectiveness.
Dr Steve Ward-Smith, Senior Technical Specialist in Applications at Malvern Panalytical, explains how optimising nasal sprays with advanced particle analysis could make 2025 a pivotal year for the industry.
Demand for nasal spray optimisation
The adoption of innovative approaches in regulation, such as in vitro bioequivalence (IVBE) tests, is boosting the growth of the market.
These advancements help manufacturers bring generic nasal products to market faster and at lower costs.
Nasal sprays are increasingly being used for applications other than locally acting drugs, including delivering drugs targeting the brain and central nervous system.
Drug modalities delivered via nasal sprays include traditional small molecules, peptides, hormones and vaccines, demonstrating the diversity and potential of this growing sector.
Particle analysis: the key to optimisation
Advanced particle characterisation technology has been central to the evolution of nasal spray formulations.
Successful intranasal drug delivery depends on precise deposition in the nasal cavity and predictable behaviour once administered.
Factors such as particle size, droplet distribution and formulation stability are all critical to achieving this.
By optimising these parameters, particle analysis safeguards the quality, safety and therapeutic efficacy of nasal sprays.
Morphologically directed Raman spectroscopy (MDRS) is now recognised by the FDA as a key technique for characterising complex intranasal formulations.
By combining microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, MDRS can identify active drug particles and excipients, offering component-specific morphology analysis.
This is particularly useful in establishing IVBE for generics and optimising particle sizes in suspension-based sprays to match dissolution kinetics.
Laser diffraction is another essential tool, enabling precise measurement of droplet size distribution during the milliseconds-long spray event.
Monitoring droplet sizes, especially during the fully developed spray phase, helps predict deposition behaviour in the nasal cavity, crucial for targeting either local or systemic effects.
For biologics, including peptides, proteins and monoclonal antibodies, dynamic light scattering (DLS) has become indispensable.
Nasal spray devices subject these sensitive molecules to mechanical stresses during actuation and DLS allows formulation scientists to track aggregation and stability at the nanoscale.
As of 2025, DLS is now routinely integrated into both formulation development and stability testing, ensuring biologics maintain their integrity through the delivery process.
Regulatory and practical advantages
The integration of MDRS, DLS and laser diffraction into nasal spray development delivers substantial regulatory and practical advantages.
These technologies provide precise, quantifiable data on critical quality attributes like particle size and distribution, enabling developers to substitute in vivo studies with in vitro equivalents in many cases.
This not only reduces development costs but also shortens time to market.
Additionally, formulation adjustments, such as changes in viscosity or excipient concentration, can now be guided by real-time particle analysis.
Studies using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) demonstrate that even minor viscosity changes can affect droplet formation and plume geometry, ultimately impacting the drug’s deposition and therapeutic effectiveness.
Dr Steve Ward-Smith, Senior Technical Specialist in Applications at Malvern Panalytical, says:
“The future of nasal sprays lies at the intersection of drug delivery science and advanced analytics."
"As new classes of drugs, such as mRNA-based therapies and CNS-targeted biologics, continue to emerge, the demand for precise, non-invasive delivery systems will only grow."
“Technologies like MDRS, laser diffraction and DLS are now fundamental to the innovation process, enabling pharmaceutical developers to meet increasingly stringent quality standards while advancing the capabilities of what nasal sprays can deliver."
“In 2025 and beyond, the pharmaceutical industry is not just seeing nasal sprays as an alternative delivery method; it’s redefining them as precision-engineered platforms for next-generation therapeutics.”