Spray Dried Formulations for Nasal Applications – Challenges and Opportunities in Filling and Drug Delivery

Spray dried formulations, which are commonplace for inhaled drug delivery, offer considerable potential for nasal applications. This article describes an experimental study of the behavior of two spray dried formulations for nasal drug delivery, prepared with two different spray dryers under different operating conditions. The resulting formulations were physically characterized and assessed with respect to nasal deposition using a nasal cast (use courtesy of Aptar Pharma/DTF/Univ. of Tours); dose delivery was with an Aptar Pharma Unidose device. The filling performance of the formulations was also assessed. The spray dried formulations performed well in standard filling equipment and high dose deposition was observed in the olfactory region, a primary target for nose to brain drug delivery. Tests suggest minimal penetration to the lungs.