Nasal Spray Could Help Stem the Spread of Swine Flu

In the rush to find and produce a vaccine against the ominous threat of a swine flu pandemic, the answer might not be a vaccine at all. A nasal spray may be just as effective, and far easier to produce.

The nasal spray is a victory for MedImmune, a pharmaceutical company owned by AstraZeneca. MedImmune also produces a nasal spray for seasonal flu called FluMist, that never gained popularity due to its high price tag.

However the swine flu spray has proved easier to produce than the conventional vaccine and now accounts for 12 million of the 20 million doses bought by the companies contracted by the Department of Health and Human Services. This percentage could grow as MedImmune promises 200 million doses by March, more than five times the initial estimate.

Nasal spray production is rolling out so much faster than anticipated that BD, the company that makes the spray applicators, is unable to keep up. While the applicator factory runs 24 hours a day in Columbus, Nebraska, MedImmune has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to allow for the use of droppers instead of sprayers to administer the drug.

AUTHOR: Kristina Canizares