Formulations for Intranasal Delivery of Pharmacological Agents to Combat Brain Disease: A New Opportunity to Tackle GBM?

Intranasal drug delivery is proposed as a non-invasive route to bypass the blood-brain barrier and reduce systemic side effects for glioblastoma (GBM) treatment. The review frames why GBM has poor outcomes despite standard care, then contrasts invasive local delivery approaches like convection enhanced delivery and intracerebral injections with nose-to-brain transport via the olfactory and trigeminal pathways. It focuses on formulation strategies that can improve nasal permeation and delivery to the brain, including nanoparticles, mucoadhesive approaches, slow or controlled release, and protection from degradation during transport. Overall, the accumulated preclinical and clinical evidence is presented as suggesting intranasal delivery could be a major therapeutic opportunity for GBM.