AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE:ATR), a global leader in drug delivery, dosing and protection technologies, and consumer product dispensing, recently announced that it has signed an agreement for a research collaboration led by Alice Stanton, PhD from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to advance the science of nose-to-brain (N2B) drug delivery.
Aptar and its collaborators will develop an integrated translational research platform combining in vitro, in vivo and computational technologies and evaluate a broad range of molecular classes and physicochemical properties to quantitatively characterize the mechanisms, pathways, and kinetics of nose-to-brain transport.
“Through this study, we will profile the intranasal pathway to the brain and develop a tool to mimic this route, towards robust and non-invasive delivery of medicines that may otherwise be stopped by the blood-brain barrier or impeded by absorption in other tissues. The ability to provide effective drug delivery to the brain via the nose could catalyze an inflection point for disease treatments,” said Alice Stanton, PhD, Assistant Professor and Investigator in the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Brigham and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.
Over the past decade, nasal drug delivery has become an established route for both local and systemic therapies, enabling innovative treatments across a range of therapeutic areas. More recently, growing interest in direct nose-to-brain delivery has emerged as researchers and pharmaceutical companies seek new approaches to treat neurological and central nervous system (CNS) disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, depression and more.
The development of the N2B New Approach Methodologies (NAM), consistent with FDA’s support for these approaches, aims to enable screening compounds that are amenable for N2B delivery, supporting safer treatment for patients while reducing costs. The resulting NAM is designed to incorporate Aptar’s nasal drug delivery systems to help improve candidate selection, inform formulation and device design decisions, and support acceleration of the development of therapies targeting neurological diseases. This work is intended to result in a NAM designed to screen compounds for nose-to-brain delivery during drug development.
While pioneering studies, including those conducted at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, have demonstrated that direct transport from the nose to the brain can occur, critical scientific questions remain. Pharmaceutical innovators continue to work with partners such as Aptar to determine which molecules are best suited for N2B delivery, which physicochemical properties drive transport and how preclinical results can reliably predict human outcomes.
As a leader in advanced nasal drug delivery, Aptar has decades of research and investment in its proprietary nasal delivery systems, backed by 30 years of related field data. Aptar has invested in technologies specifically designed to target the upper nasal cavity, including its Cerespray and Neurospray platforms. These technologies are intended to support precise deposition in regions associated with nose-to-brain transport and are part of Aptar’s broader commitment to advancing CNS drug delivery.
“Interest in nose-to-brain delivery has accelerated significantly in recent years, yet one of the most common questions we hear from pharmaceutical innovators is whether a specific molecule is truly suitable for this pathway,” said Reenal Gandhi, Global Business Development Director, Aptar Pharma. “Our goal is to transform nose-to-brain delivery from a promising concept into a more predictable and data-driven development pathway, helping pharmaceutical innovators evaluate opportunities earlier and accelerate future CNS pipelines.”
Over time, these proprietary tools are expected to support a broad range of future nose-to-brain development programs, creating long-term value across multiple CNS applications.
By combining Aptar’s expertise in nasal drug delivery technologies with the world-class research capabilities of the Stanton lab, and MGH, the collaboration seeks to advance the scientific foundation of nose-to-brain drug delivery and unlock new opportunities for CNS therapeutics.
The Stanton Lab works on “Technology Towards Treatments.” Driven by the need for better treatments for neurological disease, the Stanton Lab combines neurogenetics, omics, and cell biology techniques with tools spanning nanotechnology, machine learning, microfluidics, microphysiological systems, biomaterials engineering, and tissue engineered organoid approaches.
