Nasal Drug Delivery and Nose-to-Brain Delivery Technology Development Status and Trend Analysis: Based on Questionnaire Survey and Patent Analysis

Nasal administration is a non-invasive method of drug delivery that offers several advantages, including rapid onset of action, ease of use, no first-pass effect, and fewer side effects. On this basis, nose-to-brain delivery technology offers a new method for drug delivery to the brain and central nervous system, which has attracted widespread attention. In this paper, the development status and trends of nasal drug delivery and nose-to-brain delivery technology are deeply analyzed through multiple dimensions: literature research, questionnaire surveys, and patent analysis. First, FDA-approved nasal formulations for nose-to-brain delivery were combed. Second, we collected a large amount of relevant information about nasal drug delivery through a questionnaire survey of 165 pharmaceutical industry practitioners in 28 provinces and 161 different organizations in China. Third, and most importantly, we conducted a patent analysis of approximately 700+ patents related to nose-to-brain delivery, both domestically and internationally. This analysis was conducted in terms of patent application trends, technology life cycle, technology composition, and technology evolution. The LDA topic model was employed to identify technological topics in each time window (1990–2023), and the five key major evolution paths were extracted. The research results in this paper will provide useful references for relevant researchers and enterprises in the pharmaceutical industry, promoting the further development and application of nasal drug delivery and nose-to-brain delivery technology.