Equadel is designed to take the human factor out of intranasal drug dosing, a commonly used delivery route for allergies and colds, making sure that the correct dose of drug is dispensed regardless of the patient's technique.
And this improved dosing profile could expand the use of intranasal administration to include systemic in addition to topical drugs, according to Valois, which suggest that migraine and Parkinson's disease are two potential applications of the new system.
Nasal delivery is particularly valuable in diseases that require a rapid onset of action, as any drug delivered to the nasal mucosa is quickly absorbed and enters the bloodstream. This route can also be used to deliver small and medium molecular weight peptides and proteins that cannot be dosed orally, doing away with the need for injections.
One barrier to the more widespread use of nasal spray devices for drug delivery has been the variability in dosing, which can affect how well a patient complies with the treatment. One common problem is known as a partial metering, in which a full dose is not delivered because the patient does not press hard enough on the pump. While this may be acceptable in colds and hayfever, it is a serious limitation in the case of more serious illnesses.
A recognitition that current spray devices are not up to the task has prompted moves by both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMEA) to take another look at their requirements for these products.
Equadel is the result of four years' work at Valois, and is claimed to deliver a reproducible dose of drug regardless of the speed and force applied by the patient. The emphasis has been on the refinement of the atomisation process in the pump, which ensures that the droplet size is regular and the 'plume' of droplets is always of a similar size and shape.
Additional news from Valois at the Interpack show will be reported later this week.