Biologics for Nasal Delivery: A Whole New Ball Game to Hit the Target

Despite being widely commercialised as injectable formats, “biologics” are now creating lots of excitement in the orally inhaled and nasal drug product (OINDP) segment of the pharma industry. But compared to small molecules, one biologic can be fundamentally widely different from next in their properties and behaviour, so this all-encompassing classification can also create confusion for companies trying to navigate the complexity of turning their molecule into a viable nasal drug product. This session will explain the wide ranging properties of the main types of biologics (peptides, nucleic acid based molecules e.g. mRNA, larger proteins e.g. monoclonal antibodies) using easy-to-understand analogies, whilst introducing how these might impact – and be impacted by – the formulation itself as well as the physiological environment of the nose. A special consideration will also be made around the potential to exploit the nose-to-brain pathway, and particularly the interest in the use of nanoparticle encapsulation or conjugation technologies to facility the molecule’s journey to its target.