Investigation of Powder Blend Uniformity and Deposition in a Nasal Cast Using a Unit Dose Nasal System

Interest is increasing in the use of powder formulations for nasal deposition for pain relief, disorders of the central nervous systems and vaccination. This article describes an experimental study of the deposition behavior of different blends of sumatriptan, a drug used for the treatment of migraine, with a unit dose nasal drug delivery system. Blends were formulated using different lactose grades, with and without magnesium stearate, and delivered to a validated nasal cast (use courtesy of Aptar Pharma/DTF/Univ. of Tours) using a proprietary unit dose nasal drug delivery system from Aptar Pharma. The results show that despite differences in cohesivity successful deposition was achieved with all model formulations at target sites such as the turbinates and olfactory region. The results demonstrate the potential utility of the unit dose nasal system.