The promise of the nose-to-brain route in drug administration

The intranasal route has emerged as a promising alternative for the treatment of neurological
disorders, owing to its unique advantages, most notably the ability to deliver drugs directly from
the nasal cavity to the brain (nose-to-brain delivery). This approach bypasses the blood-brain
barrier and can enhance therapeutic efficacy.
In recent years, the potential of the nose-to-brain route to improve the management of
neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and migraine has attracted
significant preclinical attention. The findings so far are encouraging, particularly when this route
is combined with nanosystem-based formulations, including solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and
nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). Nevertheless, evidence supporting the clinical efficacy of the
nose-to-brain pathway remains limited, and further research is required before progressing to
clinical trials.