Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 09, 2026 16 hours, 13 minutes ago
Medical News: Nasal Pathway Emerges as a Game Changer
A growing body of scientific work is revealing how medicines delivered through the nose may reach the brain far more directly and efficiently than traditional pills or injections. A new review by researchers from Ceres Brain Therapeutics and the Institut du Cerveau ICM at Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière in Paris outlines how the so-called nose to brain pathway could transform treatment for conditions ranging from neurological energy disorders to degenerative diseases like ALS.
A new review shows how nose-to-brain drug delivery may transform future treatments for hard-to-reach neurological disorders
This
Medical News report highlights how scientists are now turning this pathway into a viable drug-delivery strategy by overcoming long-standing challenges in formulation, stability, and safe device design.
Why Nose to Brain Delivery Matters
Normally, medicines intended for the brain must cross the blood–brain barrier, a dense biological shield that blocks most drugs. Many promising therapies fail simply because they cannot penetrate this barrier. The nasal route avoids this obstacle entirely by using two natural nerve systems—the olfactory and trigeminal pathways—that directly connect the nasal cavity to the brain. Studies now show that molecules can travel along these nerves within minutes, offering a noninvasive alternative to injections or surgery.
The nasal cavity, however, is a demanding environment. Its mucus layer clears rapidly, pH fluctuates, and enzymes can degrade drugs quickly. The new review explains that successful nose to brain delivery requires careful attention to particle size, viscosity, excipients, pH, and device performance. Poor formulation or improper devices have caused several past clinical failures, even when animal studies looked promising.
Dodecyl Creatine Ester Shows What Is Possible
To illustrate the challenges and possibilities, the researchers highlight Dodecyl Creatine Ester (DCE)—a specially designed creatine prodrug developed for neurological disorders involving cellular energy deficits. DCE is extremely unstable in blood, breaking down within minutes. That means it cannot work if swallowed or injected. But when DCE is delivered intranasally as a stabilized oil-in-water emulsion, it can travel directly along nerve pathways and release active creatine inside neurons. In primate studies, this approach successfully boosted brain creatine levels and improved metabolic function.
DCE’s behavior makes it a powerful proof-of-concept: the only way for the drug to work is through true nose-to-neuron transport, bypassing the bloodstream entirely. This demonstration strengthens the case that the nasal route can reach brain areas often inaccessible to standard therapies.
The Industrial Challenge
The review stresses that scientific success alone is not enough. Any therapy using this route must be m
anufacturable at scale, chemically stable during long storage, and safe for chronic use. The authors detail how DCE was successfully stabilized, how preservatives were avoided, and how a suitable nasal spray pump was selected after evaluating plume geometry, droplet size, and dosing accuracy. These industrial steps are essential if nasal neurological therapies are to reach real-world patients.
Conclusion
Overall, the review argues that the nose to brain pathway is not a scientific curiosity but an emerging therapeutic frontier. By combining the right molecule design, precise nasal formulations, and carefully engineered delivery devices, developers can reach neurons directly, reduce systemic side effects, and potentially treat disorders that have resisted conventional drug approaches. As more teams adopt these industrial and scientific strategies, nasal delivery could reshape the future of neurological medicine for years to come.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Pharmaceutics.
https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/18/1/80
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/med-news
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/pharma-news
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