NASAL SPRAY COULD DELIVER OVERDOSE DRUGS MORE EFFECTIVELY

Norwegian University Developing a Drug-Delivery System That is Quick and Easy to Use

An interdisciplinary team from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is working on developing a nasal spray applicator as a fast and effective method to treat people who have overdosed on heroin. Normally, resuscitation drugs for overdose cases are delivered using a syringe, either intramuscular or directly into the veins. But, this method is not suitable for every occasion that may arise.

People often overdose when they begin using drugs again after a period of abstinence. The first people on the scene are frequently untrained personnel, such as fellow drug-users, friends or passersby, who are unfamiliar with administering resuscitation drugs (nor are they equipped with the drugs). Trained personnel including paramedics and doctors may be confronted with challenging situations where it is difficult to work, such as in dark abandoned buildings or underneath bridges. Using a spray applicator could make it easier for both trained and untrained personnel to administer a drug like naloxone in a fast and effective way.

The applicator was tested on 17 medical students (who had not used any heroin) to work out the required dosage needed for effective absorption of the drug into the bloodstream via the spray. The NTNU team believes that the spray could be provided to drug users, police and others to ensure a fast response to a drug-overdose. A future field study of the device will see paramedics equipped with both a spray bottle and a needle. Only one of the two will contain naloxone, however the paramedics won’t be told which one (as it is a blind test).