Migralex Blog

Nanotechnology in headache treatment

We have many ways to deliver medicine into our bodies.  Oral, or swallowing a pill, is the easiest, but for some people it takes too long to work and the medicine has to go through the liver first, causing potential side effects. 

Also, if someone is nauseous from a headache, the medicine will take even longer to work or in case of vomiting it will not stay in altogether.  Rectal suppositories and injections have obvious limitations, which leaves two other ways of delivery which get the medicine in quickly and without having to go through the liver first.  One way is to inhale medicine through the lungs and one company is in late stages of developing a product, Levadex which will deliver a very powerful headache medicine through the lungs. 

Another method of delivery is through the nose.  We now have four headache medications which are sprayed into the nose.  However, the absorption of these drugs in the nose is not very good for many patients, resulting in poor or inconsistent relief.  An Indian company is developing so called micellar nanocarriers, particles which can deliver headache medicine from the nose to the brain.   Using imaging techniques researchers have shown that because of their very small size these nanoparticles can quickly bring molecules of headache medicine into the brain.   Surprisingly, this method of delivery is much more efficient not only than a regular nose spray but even an intravenous injection.

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