Publications, Pharmaceutical

Intranasal Delivery of Thin-Film Freeze-Dried Vaccine Powders

Intranasal vaccination via direct application of dry vaccine powder offers numerous advantages, but its successful implementation hinges on efficient transformation of a liquid vaccine into a dry powder and its subsequent delivery to the requisite nasal regions. In this research, a model vaccine comprising liposomal monophosphoryl lipid A, QS-21 adjuvant (AdjLMQ), and ovalbumin (OVA) as an antigen was examined. The liquid vaccine was successfully converted into a dry powder using thin-film freeze-drying, with the addition of sucrose at a 15:1 ratio with lipid, and optionally incorporating a mucoadhesive agent, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMC).

Download Publication "Intranasal Delivery of Thin-Film Freeze-Dried Vaccine Powders"
15 Jun 2023

The chosen model for further evaluation was the thin-film freeze-dried AdjLMQ/OVA vaccine powder containing 1.9% (w/w) of CMC, owing to its mucoadhesive qualities and ability to maintain antigen integrity and the vaccine’s physical properties. This powder displayed lower moisture content and higher glass transition temperature compared to versions without CMC. The resultant thin films also showed greater thickness.

Delivery of the dry vaccine powder was tested using Aptar Pharma’s Unidose Powder Nasal Spray System (UDSP), which displayed comparable results in particle size distribution, spray patterns, and plume geometries for both the CMC-containing and non-CMC vaccine powder. Importantly, the integrity of the OVA antigen and AdjLMQ liposomes was maintained post-spray using UDSP.

To optimize delivery parameters, a Taguchi L4 orthogonal array was used. This facilitated the identification of the best settings to target the middle and lower turbinate and nasopharynx regions in adult and child nasal replicas using the UDSP.

In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of thin-film freeze-drying technology for converting a nasal vaccine from a liquid to a dry powder. Furthermore, it confirms the capability of UDSP to effectively deliver the dry vaccine to the necessary regions for intranasal vaccination.

Read the Abstract on PubMed

Learn more about Aptar Pharma Expertise
in Nasal Vaccines

Find Out More About Nasal Vaccines

This Might Also Be of Interest

30 Sep 2024

Cyclosporine – A Micellar Nasal Spray: A Promising Antiviral Solution Against S...

Publications, Pharmaceutical, Device Innovations, Market Insights, Product Solutions

Read More
3 Jul 2023

Intranasal Vaccination: Rationale, Progress and Challenges

Publications, Pharmaceutical, Device Innovations, Brand Differentiation, Market Insights, Product Solutions

Read More
15 Jun 2023

Intranasal Delivery of Thin-Film Freeze-Dried Vaccine Powders

Publications, Pharmaceutical, Device Innovations, Product Solutions

Read More
24 Apr 2023

The Potential and Challenge of Nasal Vaccination

Publications, Pharmaceutical, Device Innovations, Brand Differentiation, Market Insights, Product Solutions

Read More
1 2 3 4
Back To Top