Nasal Alzheimer's drug to enter trials
delivered intranasally using an atomiser developed by Kurve
Technology, can improve short-term memory in Alzheimer's disease
patients.
Kurve is donating 10 of its ViaNase electronic atomiser devices to the clinical researchers, from Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington in the US.
ViaNase takes the form of a nasal nebuliser and a spray bottle, and makes use of the electronic atomiser to produce finely-controlled particle dispersions. Studies have shown that the device delivers drug to the entire nasal mucosa, penetrating far deeper into the nasal cavity than traditional nasal drug delivery devices. Coverage of the nasal mucosa and depth of drug penetration are two important elements of effective and efficient liquid-based intranasal drug treatments.
The 21-day trial will study the effect of intranasal insulin delivery on the short-term memory of 30 patients with early stage Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies conducted at the VA and the University of Washington have demonstrated that a single dose of intranasal insulin improved memory function for some patients with Alzheimer's.
Suzanne Craft, the principle investigator in the trial, said that the team had been searching for a device that efficiently delivers insulin via the nasal route. "The fact that ViaNase allows patients to self-administer study formulations at home is crucial to this study," she commented.
The blood-brain barrier that separates the brain interstitial fluid from the circulating blood provides an efficient barrier for the diffusion of most drugs from the blood to the brain and central nervous system (CNS). In recent years, interest has been expressed in the use of the nasal route to deliver drugs to the brain for treatment of common neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, because delivering drugs to the olfactory bulb in the upper regions of the nasal cavity can bypass this barrier.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 4.5 million people have Alzheimer's disease in the US, a number expected to increase to 11-16 million by 2050. Finding a treatment that could delay onset by five years could reduce the number of individuals with Alzheimer's disease by nearly 50 percent after 50 years.
