Modulation of olfactory area for effective transportation of actives in CNS disorders

The nasal route of drug administration is utilized for therapeutic applications for decades due to the facile nasal pathway, non-invasive nature, neuronal connection between brain and nose, in addition, it bypasses blood-brain barrier (BBB) and hepatic metabolism. Therefore, nasal route is preferred over intravenous and other invasive approaches like intracerebral and transcranial to treat central nervous system (CNS) ailments like Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), multiple sclerosis and depression. Drug administered via nasal route shows some difficulty to reach the brain like mucociliary clearance, the dose limitation of nasal route, etc. The effectiveness of nasal route significantly depends on the device used for administration. Various devices (optimist, Sipnose, etc.) with powder or liquid formulations are used in preclinical and clinical trials and devices like Naltos, VP3 are manufactured but not used in clinical trials yet. Moreover, sensitivity of the nasal route and the complexity of clinical trials in CNS disorders drags the requirement of attention towards the clinical trials and approval process of nasal drug delivery approach. This review article unfolds approaches to overcome difficulties by modification of drugs by absorption enhancer and how novel technologies are incorporated in nasal route to enhance the concentration of drug in the brain to explain their potential in nasal route.

Automated summary

The nasal route of drug administration has been used for therapeutic purposes due to its easy access and non-invasive nature. It is preferred over other invasive approaches for treating CNS ailments. However, there are challenges in delivering drugs via the nasal route, such as mucociliary clearance and dose limitations. This review article discusses approaches to overcome these difficulties and enhance drug concentration in the brain.