Nasal Drug Product Development and Manufacturing

Supporting nasal drug products from formulation development through clinical manufacturing and commercial readiness.

Nasal Dosage Forms

Nasal Drug Development Expertise

Developing an effective nasal drug product requires more than selecting a formulation. Success depends on understanding device compatibility, formulation stability, delivery performance, manufacturability and regulatory requirements.

At Upperton, we combine formulation expertise with GMP manufacturing capabilities to support local, systemic and CNS-targeted nasal drug delivery programmes.

We Support

Nasal Sprays
Nasal Solutions
Nasal Suspensions
Nasal Dry Powders

YOUR STRATEGIC CDMO PARTNER

Why Choose Upperton for Nasal Drug Development.

We provide fully integrated CDMO services across every stage of the drug product lifecycle.

One Team. One Site.

Our integrated approach removes the complexity of managing multiple suppliers during development.

Device Agnostic Development.

We recommend the most appropriate device for your product rather than forcing development into a predefined platform.

Specialist CNS Expertise

Dedicated experience supporting programmes exploring nose-to-brain delivery strategies.

Executive Leadership on Every Project

Direct access to experienced senior leadership for strategic oversight and decision-making.

From pre-clinical to market

How We Support Nasal Drug Development

Whether you're at feasibility, preclinical development or preparing for clinical trials, our integrated team can support every stage of your programme.

01

Formulation Development

Optimising nasal formulations for liquid sprays, suspensions and dry powder delivery.

02

Phase I–II Clinical Supply

GMP manufacture and release of Phase I and Phase II clinical trial material.

03

Scale Up for Phase III and Commercial Readiness

Preparing your formulation and process for larger-scale manufacture.

04

Analytical Development & Validation

Method development, transfer, validation and stability testing.

05

Regulatroy & CMC Support

Supporting your development programme with the documentation required for regulatory submissions.

device agnostic filling capabilities

Precise Dosing for Challenging Nasal Formulations.

Gravimetric Dosing: Measures and verifies the precise weight of powder for every individual capsule, vial, or device.

Low-Dose Accuracy: Ideal for ultra-low-dose and high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), requiring as little as 2–3 grams of API.

Versatile Dosage Forms: Supports oral (capsules), nasal, pulmonary (dry-powder inhalers), and parenteral/aseptic applications (vials, cartridges, and syringes).

Gentle Handling: Uses localised low-frequency vibration to prevent powder compaction, blend segregation, or damage to sensitive formulations like spray-dried biologics.

Trusted by innovative drug developers

“Working with Upperton has been exceptional. Their project management approach is marked by outstanding organisation, proactive communication, and a deep commitment to meeting project milestones.”

Independent CMC Consultant, Clinical Stage Biotech

Nasal Device Selection

Device Selection Expertise

Selecting the correct nasal delivery device is critical to product performance, patient usability, regulatory success and commercial adoption. Upperton is a device agnostic CDMO, ensuring the device selected for your molecule is the best one for your pathway.

01

Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhaler (PMDI)

Specialised drug delivery systems that use propellants to deliver solutions or suspensions directly to the nasal cavity for local or systemic effects and can also be used for nose-to-brain targeting.

02

Nasal Dry Powder Inhalers (DPIs)

An emerging class of drug delivery for local nasal delivery as well as nose-to-brain. These formulations use dry powders, which improve stability over liquid formulations, thus reducing the need for cold chain supply and preservatives.

03

Nasal Spray Formulations

Specialised liquid delivery systems designed for deposition into the nasal cavity, predominantly using pump sprays to achieve local or systemic effects. They are characterized by their high vascularity, rapid absorption and ability to bypass first-pass metabolism, making them the preferred option over pulmonary inhalers in many cases.

04

Soft Mist Inhalers (SMIs)

SMIs produce a fine, slow-moving mist that improves the deposition of the drug in the airways compared to MDIs and DPIs.

For larger molecules, such as biologics, SMIs can be an effective way of delivering drugs into the lungs.

Accelerating Nasal Development Programmes.

UpperNose™ Development Platform

UpperNose™ combines formulation expertise, device understanding and development experience to streamline nasal drug product development.

UpperNose™ Supports

Device Selection
Formulation Screening
Nasal Powder Development
Liquid Nasal Formulations
Nose-to-Brain Development
Scale-Up Readiness

Learn about UpperNose

Download our guide to nasal drug delivery

Download

Nasal Development FAQs

What are the primary delivery devices for nasal drug delivery?

At Upperton, we can work with pressurised metered dose inhalers (PMDIs), nasal dry powder inhalers (DPIs), and traditional nasal spray formulations.

How do I choose between liquid and dry powder formulations in nasal formulations?

There are a number of factors that can influence the choice between a liquid and dry powder formulation. Some considerations include the drugs stability, desired release profile, cost constraints, and the target patient population’s preferences.

At what point can I bring my nasal project to a CDMO?

At Upperton, we encourage biotechs to speak to us about their project as early as possible. Early communication reduces the risk of lengthy reformulation work later down the development pathway, and supports the overall success of your project by bringing the right expertise in early.

What are some of the key benefits of choosing the nasal route compared to other dosage forms?

One of the key benefits of utilising the nasal route for drug delivery is that it avoids first pass metabolism, therefore allowing for rapid onset. Additionally, the intranasal route allows for ease of administration and for high levels of patient control. Therefore, bypassing the blood brain barrier and delivering treatments directly to the central nervous system.

Download Nasal Information Sheet

We have specialist expertise in nasal formulation and development, working with projects from early feasibility through to late stage clinical manufacturing.