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. 2025 Sep 16;25(6):511–517. doi: 10.1097/ACI.0000000000001109

Table 1.

Summary of key trials comparing intramuscular and intranasal epinephrine treatment

Study Study type Population Treatments Cmax (pg/ml) Tmax (min) Main PD effects
Tanimoto et al. [40] Four phase 1 crossover studies 175 healthy adults IM manual (0.3 mg), autoinjectors, IN spray (1 mg) IN: 258
IM: 254
AUT: 438–503
IN: 30
IM: 30
AUT: 20
SBP increase (mean mmHg):
IN: 16.9
IM: 10.9
AUT: 18.1
HR (mean beats/min):
IN: 13.6
IM: 12.8
AUT: 14.4
Casale et al. [41▪▪] Phase 1, 6-treatment crossover study 59 healthy adults IN (2 mg) vs. IM vs. autoinjector IN: 481 (mean)
IM: 339 (mean)
AUT: 753 (mean)
IN: 30 (median)
IM: 45 (median)
AUT: 7.50 (median)
SBP increase (mean mmHg):
IN: 23.6
IM: 11.9
AUT: 18.2
HR (mean beats/min):
IN: 17.3
IM: 9.71
AUT: 12.3
Casale et al. [42] Phase 1 crossover study 45 allergic rhinitis patients IN (2 mg) vs. IM (self-administered 0.3 mg) IN: 421
IM: 322
IN: 30
IM: 45
SBP increase (mean mmHg): IN, 20 mmHg; IM, 13 mmHg
Oppenheimer et al. [43] Mixed-model analysis study 21 adults with URTI or in normal conditions IN (2 mg) URTI: 490
Normal conditions: 570
10–15 min for early absorption No significant differences between subjects with URTI or in normal conditions
Greenhawt M. et al. [44] Pooled four crossover study Adults IN, opposite vs. same nostrils (13.2 mg)
IM (0.3 mg)
IN, same nostril: 332
IN, opposite nostril: 262.8
IM: 285.7
IN, same nostril: 20.1
IN, opposite nostril: 25.1
IM: 20
HR (mean beats/min):
IN, same nostril: 8.8
IN, opposite nostril: 6.5
IM: 5.9
Fleischer et al. [56▪▪] Phase 1, single-dose studies Children 4–18 years IN, 1 mg (15–30 kg of weight)
IN, 2 mg (>30 kg of weight)
IN, 1 mg: 651
IN, 2 mg: 690
IN, 1 mg: 20
IN, 2 mg: 29.5
SBP increase (mean mmHg):
IN, 1 mg: 13.4
IN, 2 mg: 12.2
HR (mean beats/min):
IN, 1 mg: 18.5
IN, 2 mg: 16.9

AUT, autoinjectors; SBP, systolic blood pressure; Cmax, maximum blood concentration; HR, hearth rate; IM, intramuscular; IN, intranasal; PD, pharmacodynamic; Tmax, time to reach the maximum blood concentration; URTI, upper respiratory tract infection.