Sniffing out a better delivery method
OptiNose, a Norwegian drug delivery company, has been working alongside Cambridge Consultants in an attempt to develop the 'next generation breath-actuated bi-directional multi-dose nasal delivery device', with the aim of providing new treatment methods for rhinosinusitis, Parkinson's disease, sexual dysfunction and other conditions.
OptiNose, a Norwegian drug delivery company, has been working alongside Cambridge Consultants in an attempt to develop the 'next generation breath-actuated bi-directional multi-dose nasal delivery device', with the aim of providing new treatment methods for rhinosinusitis, Parkinson's disease, sexual dysfunction and other conditions.
The design concept is based upon OptiNose's existing nasal delivery technology, which specialises in the delivery of drugs to sites within the nose which standard nasal sprays are unable to access, while preventing drug deposition in the lung. The treatment of rhinosinusitis by current nasal delivery systems in inadequate as they do not enable the drug to reach the upper posterior of the nasal passage. The new device exploits the body's natural reflex that isolates the nasal circuit from the lungs during exhalation against a resistance, which means that as the patient breathes into the device, the exhaled air actuates the delivery device, creating airflow which carries the spray droplets into the nose and the posterior nasal passage beyond the nasal valve, thus allowing deposition of active substance to the middle meatus, the location of the entrance to the sinuses, as has been shown in a pilot study. The process of breathing-out also automatically closes the nasal cavity, thus removing the risk of distribution to the lungs.
Cambridge Consultants has now finalised the design of the device, which is able to carry up to 120 doses and is expected to enter clinical trials during 2006. The technology can also target the olfactory bulb region from where drugs are reported to be able to readily pass into the cerebrospinal fluid.
Recent estimates suggest that 37 million people suffer with rhinosinusitis in America and a similar number in Europe, making it one of the most common chronic illnesses in the world, and consequently a highly attractive market. Parkinson's disease affects almost four million people worldwide, with 2% of the population developing the disease at some point during life; while the global male sexual dysfunction market, valued at $2.3bn in 2004, is expected to rise to more that $5bn by the end of 2009.