There are many reasons cancer patients can dread chemotherapy. It might kill their cancer, but those who go through it often wonder if the cure is just as bad as the disease. Among the uncomfortable symptoms is chemotherapy-induced vomiting. Ahmedabad, India-based Lincoln Pharmaceuticals has been granted a patent for its nasal drug delivery system (NDDS) of ondansetron hydrochloride, which prevents or arrests vomiting.
Nasal delivery has advantages over oral, including faster results. The nasal cavity is covered by a thin mucosa that is well vascularised. The ondansetron hydrochloride molecule can quickly be transferred across the single cell layer directly into the bloodstream without having to first pass through the intestines. Positive effects can be reached within 5 minutes, according to a Lincoln news release.
"Vomiting and nausea is a common problem which causes patients a great deal of discomfort and weakness," Mahendra G, Patel, Lincoln's managing director, said in a statement. "We wanted to provide immediate relief to people suffering from this problem. Now after winning a patent for the novel NDDS for vomiting, we will be able to help patients experience relief within a few minutes."
- read the Lincoln Pharma release
- or a report in the Economic Times of India