Impact of Nasal Drug Delivery System on Mucociliary Clearance

Abstract

Objective: Aerosolized drugs are predominantly delivered by nasal sprays, but they target the anterior nose only, and the administered drug is rapidly cleared. Studies with pulsating aerosols showed improved sinonasal deposition. This study compared clearance kinetics and cumulative dose after nasal spray and pulsating aerosol delivery. Method: Open label deposition study in 15 healthy volunteers using radiolabeled pulsating aerosols generated by a Vibrent nebulizer in comparison to nasal pump sprays. Nasal deposition and retention was assessed by gamma camera imaging at various time intervals over 24-hours in the entire nose and in specified ROIs. Results: Nasal pump spray vs pulsating aerosol application resulted in a nasal deposition of 100% vs 70 ± 16%. Conclusion: As found in earlier studies, nasal clearance of pulsating aerosols is significantly retarded compared with nasal sprays, causing prolonged drug residence time in the nose. Our data suggest that this effect may be related to the small droplet size and pulsations rather than deposition in certain nasal regions.