Table 2.
Examples of nasal preparations marketed for drug delivery through the nasal cavity
| Drug | Route | Disease | Information | Approval | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azelastine | IN | Allergy |
Commercial name, Optivar® (nasal spray formulation) Optivar® is an antihistamine that is only available by prescription Relieves symptoms such as stuffy or runny nose, itching, sneezing, allergic rhinitis, hay fever, vasomotor rhinitis, and other upper respiratory allergies |
FDA approved Optivar® as an antihistamine medication in 2000 | Wolff et al. (2007) |
| Buserelin | IN | Endometriosis & hormone-dependent advanced carcinoma of the prostate gland |
Commercial name, Suprefact® (nasal solution formulation) Suprefact® is a medication which is used primarily in the treatment of prostate cancer and endometriosis (through the reduction of sex hormones) |
Suprefact® was approved for sale in Canada as hormone supplementary medication | Rohrer et al. (2018) |
| Calcitonin | IN | Osteoporosis |
Commercial name, Miacalcin® (nasal spray formulation) Miacalcin® is indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women greater than 5 years postmenopause |
FDA approved Miacalcin® as hormone supplementary medication in 2003 | FDA (2017a) |
| Desmopressin | IN | Nocturnal polyuria |
Commercial name, Noctiva® (nasal spray formulation) Noctiva® is indicated for the management of nocturnal polyuria in adults who awaken at least two times per night to void |
FDA approved Noctiva® as hormone supplementary medication in 2017 | FDA (2017b) |
| Dihydroergotamine mesylate | IN | Migraine |
Commercial name, Trudhesa® (nasal spray formulation) Trudhesa® is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults |
FDA approved Trudhesa® as a migraine medication in 2021 | FDA (2021b) |
| Esketamine | IN | Depressive disorder |
Commercial name, Spravato® (nasal spray formulation) Spravato® is a medication prescribed for adults with treatment-resistant depression and adults with major depressive disorder with suicidal thoughts or behaviors |
FDA approved Spravato® as antidepressant medication in 2019 | Jalloh (2020) |
| Hepatitis B virus vaccine | IV | Chronic hepatitis B virus infection |
Commercial name, HeberNasvac® (nasal spray formulation) HeberNasvac® is a therapeutic recombinant vaccine for immunotherapy against chronic hepatitis B virus infection and prevention of its possible consequences |
HeberNasvac® was approved for sale in Cuba as a medication for preventing hepatitis B virus infection | Pentón-Arias and Aguilar-Rubido (2021) |
| Influenza virus vaccine | IN | Influenza (for prevention) |
Commercial name, FluMist® (nasal spray formulation) FluMist® Quadrivalent is a vaccine indicated for active immunization for the prevention of influenza disease caused by influenza A subtype viruses and type B viruses contained in the vaccine |
FDA approved FluMist® for the prevention of influenza illness in 2003 | FDA (2021a) |
| Glucagon | IN | Severe hypoglycemia |
Commercial name, Baqsimi® (nasal powder formulation) Baqsimi® is indicated for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes ages 4 years and above |
FDA approved Baqsimi® as hormone supplementary medication in 2019 | FDA (2019) |
| Mometasone | IN | Allergy & rhinitis |
Commercial name, Nasonex® (nasal spray formulation) Relieves symptoms such as sneezing, runny, stuffy, and itchy nose It is also used to treat nasal polyps (swelling of the lining of the nose) |
FDA approved Nasonex® as an antiallergy medication in 1997 | Berkowitz et al. (1999) |
| Nafarelin | IN | Central precocious puberty |
Commercial name, Synarel® (nasal solution formulation) Synarel® is indicated for treatment of central precocious puberty (gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty) in children of both sexes Synarel® is also used to treat symptoms of endometriosis such as pelvic pain, menstrual cramps, and painful intercourse |
FDA approved Synarel® as hormone supplementary medication in 1998 | FDA (2012) |
| Naloxone | IN | Opioid overdose |
Commercial name, Narcan® (nasal spray formulation) Narcan® is indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression |
FDA approved Narcan® as an antidote to opiate addiction in 2015 | FDA (2015) |
| Olopatadine | IN | Allergy & rhinitis |
Commercial name, Patanase® (nasal spray formulation) Patanase® is indicated for the relief of the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older |
FDA approved Patanase® as an antihistamine medication in 2008 | FDA (2009) |
| Sumatriptan | IN | Migraine |
Commercial name, Onzetra® Xsail® (nasal powder formulation) Onzetra® Xsail® is a prescription medication approved for the acute treatment of migraine, with or without aura in adults |
FDA approved Onzetra® Xsail® as a migraine medication in 2016 | Al-Salama and Scott (2016) |
| Testosterone | IN | Hormone disorder |
Commercial name, Natesto® (nasal gel formulation) Natesto® is a prescription medicine that contains testosterone and is used to treat adult males who have low or no testosterone due to certain medical conditions |
FDA approved Natesto® as hormone supplementary medication in 2014 | Rogol et al. (2016) |
IN intranasal; FDA Food and Drug Administration