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Comment on US FDA approves nasal spray alternative to EpiPen for allergic reactionsparent

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How novel is the idea of delivering prescription emergency meds via nasal spray?

I only know of their existence because I’ve used them for epilepsy personally. Are there any other contexts they’re used other than that and now this? They’ve obviously been used outside of emergencies for decades.

If it was completely revolutionary when it was brought to market for epilepsy then it makes sense.

From digging, Valtoco (the epilepsy nasal spray) was the second drug approved using "intravail", an excipient used to boost drug absorption through the nasal membrane. Valtoco was approved in 2020 (drug approval was submitted in 2018-2019 and fast track granted back in 2016/2017), with a development cycle that appears to have started back in 2007/08.

The first drug approved using intravail was tosymra (for migraines) and was approved in 2018. Intravail itself seems to have been around since at least 2006.

This drug (neffy) also uses intravail.

I would speculate that intravail (or an excipient like it) is probably required for rapid/acute/emergency situations. My expectation is that the first approval of a nasal drug using intravail would have greatly reduced the hurdles for any subsequent drug.

Fascinating, thanks for taking the time to look into it

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