Hurrah! No more needles. Norwegian company OptiNose claims to have devised a new and more efficient way to deliver vaccines and drugs through the nose (GB 2378393 and WO 03/000310).
The trick is a mask that fits over the nose and which contains a thin nozzle that can be poked up inside one nostril. An inflatable cuff that surrounds the nozzle expands to seal the nostril closed, and a small pump inside the mask puffs the drug through the nozzle into the nasal cavity. From there the drug can enter the bloodstream and brain. OptiNose says its nasal delivery system is ideal for treating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer鈥檚 and can also deliver the exact doses needed to treat diabetes.
