Aptar Group, Inc. announced today that it entered into a research collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). The collaboration will advance the science of nose to brain drug delivery. AptarGroup is a global provider of drug delivery, dosing and protection technologies. The company is also a developer of consumer product dispensing solutions. The research collaboration is led by Massachusetts General Hospital’s Alice Stanton, PhD. The goal is to find a more predictable way to get drugs into the brain through the nose. It will also help pharmaceutical innovators to assess development opportunities earlier. The work may also provide support for future central nervous system pipelines.
Aptar and its research partners will establish an integrated translational research platform. The platform will use in vitro, in vivo and computational technologies. Researchers will explore a variety of molecular classes and physicochemical properties. The study will quantitatively examine mechanisms and pathways of nose-to-brain transport. It also investigates the kinetics for this route of delivery. Therefore, the research may be able to provide more insight into intranasal delivery of drugs.
“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.”
Advancing Predictive Nose-to-Brain Drug Delivery
The collaboration will examine the intranasal pathway that connects the nose and brain. Researchers will also develop tools that can replicate this biological route.
“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.
Nasal drug delivery has become an established route for several therapies. It supports both local and systemic treatment approaches. Over the past decade, researchers have expanded its applications across therapeutic areas. More recently, interest in direct nose-to-brain delivery has increased. Researchers are exploring this pathway for neurological and central nervous system disorders. These conditions include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and depression.
The approach could provide an alternative route for medicines facing biological barriers. In particular, the blood-brain barrier can restrict access to the brain. Therefore, nose-to-brain drug delivery could offer new opportunities for CNS treatment development. The collaboration will also support the development of N2B New Approach Methodologies. These methods align with FDA support for alternative approaches in drug development.
Supporting CNS Drug Development and Candidate Selection
The N2B New Approach Methodologies could help researchers screen suitable compounds. This process may support safer treatment development while reducing research costs. The resulting methodology will incorporate Aptar’s nasal drug delivery systems. It will help improve candidate selection during development. Additionally, it could inform formulation and device design decisions. The work is intended to create a screening methodology for nose-to-brain delivery. Researchers can potentially use this approach during different stages of drug development.
There are still important scientific questions concerning direct nose-to-brain transport. Direct transport has been demonstrated in previous studies. Research from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine has helped scientists understand this. But the pharmaceutical innovators still need clearer answers on molecule suitability. They need to know what properties affect transportation. Researchers also need to figure out how to translate preclinical results into human results.
Aptar brings extensive experience in advanced nasal drug delivery to the collaboration. The company has invested in proprietary nasal delivery systems for decades. Its work includes approximately 30 years of related field data. Aptar has developed technologies designed to target the upper nasal cavity. These include its Cerespray™ and Neurospray™ platforms. The technologies support precise deposition in areas linked with nose-to-brain transport.
Aptar and MGH Target Future CNS Therapies
“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.”
The collaboration combines Aptar’s nasal delivery expertise with the Stanton lab’s research capabilities. It also draws on the scientific resources available through Massachusetts General Hospital. Together, the organizations aim to strengthen the scientific foundation of nose-to-brain drug delivery. The research could also unlock opportunities across multiple CNS therapeutic applications.
Over time, the proprietary tools may support a wider range of nose-to-brain development programs. Consequently, they could create long-term value for pharmaceutical innovators.
The collaboration also reflects the growing focus on advanced CNS drug delivery. Pharmaceutical companies continue seeking innovative methods for treating neurological diseases. The Stanton Lab focuses on “Technology Towards Treatments.” Its work responds to the need for improved treatments for neurological diseases. The lab combines neurogenetics, omics, and cell biology techniques. It also uses technologies across several advanced research fields.
These fields include nanotechnology, machine learning, and microfluidics. The lab also works with microphysiological systems and biomaterials engineering. Additionally, its research includes tissue-engineered organoid approaches. These capabilities support the lab’s broader efforts toward developing better neurological treatments. Through the collaboration, Aptar Pharma and Massachusetts General Hospital will continue advancing nose-to-brain drug delivery. The research aims to provide a stronger data-driven foundation for future CNS drug development.
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News Source: Businesswire.com
