As the pace of modern drug discovery accelerates, the industry is increasingly recognizing that a breakthrough molecule is only as effective as its ability to reach the target site. Nowhere is this challenge more acute than in treating Central Nervous System (CNS) and brain-related illnesses, where the blood-brain barrier remains a formidable obstacle to traditional delivery. Today, the "how" of drug delivery is becoming as strategically critical as the "what," driving a shift toward innovative routes of administration - such as the intranasal delivery of vaccines and therapeutics - to bypass systemic barriers and improve patient outcomes.
Rocket Science Health (RSH) is at the forefront of this shift, having recently achieved a pivotal milestone: demonstrating that its proprietary device technology successfully targets the olfactory cleft in non-human primates (NHP). Because the olfactory cleft provides a unique, non-invasive "right-of-way" for direct-to-brain administration, this successful NHP data serves as a vital bridge toward human commercialization, validating the device’s ability to achieve precise, reproducible dosing in the most challenging regions of the nasal anatomy. Rocket Science Health (RSH) recently conducted this NHP study in collaboration with ClearPoint Neuro at their ClearPoint Advanced Laboratories. RSH is pleased to announce successful results of its NHP-adapted device that preserves the same core delivery technology and targeting approach as the company’s human device technology.
The evaluation assessed anatomical fit, repeatable placement, and verified targeted deposition of a low-viscosity water-like tracer to the olfactory region by endoscopic imaging. Three rhesus macaques completed two sedated sessions each, generating N = 12 nostril-session samples (50 µL per nostril per administration).
Key findings:
- Deposition to the targeted olfactory region was confirmed in all nostrils tested.
- Device placement was consistent and repeatable across subjects, with no insertion resistance across study days.
- Deposited tracer remained visible in the targeted olfactory region at 10 minutes post delivery (time points beyond 10 minutes were not assessed).
- No nasopharyngeal drainage or backflow out of the nose was observed at assessment time points.
- No device-related adverse events or observable acute nasal trauma were noted during fitting, placement, or delivery.
RSH’s device technology is built around three pillars: human factors (fit, comfort, ease of use), vantage point (positioning high in the nasal cavity to enable targeted release), and fluidics (low-force, liquid stream delivery), with configurability across drug volumes and viscosities. The company reports U.S. patent protection spanning both fluidics design and targeted delivery methods, supporting a combination-product commercialization pathway.
These findings align with the focus of the upcoming 4th Nasal Formulation & Delivery Summit (May 19–21, 2026 | Boston, MA), which unites formulation, delivery and product development leaders to advance scalable, translatable, and commercially viable intranasal therapies. Rocket Science Health is one of the summit’s key partners. On Conference Day Two at 10:00 am, they’ll be exploring how “Device Technology Should Be Your First Decision, Not Your Last.” Expect to walk away from this session knowing why device technology should be considered early in the R&D process and which specifications are most critical to your program’s success.
Dive into the full conference agenda here.