Oragenics Develops Automated Intranasal Device for Treating Concussed Patients

Oragenics, Inc., a UF Innovate | Accelerate alumnus company focused on developing unique, intranasal pharmaceuticals for the treatment of neurological disorders, announced it has completed a prototype of its automated intranasal device for use in concussed patients who are initially confused, dazed or unconscious in the acute phase of injury.

Oragenics’ lead drug candidate, ONP-002, is a new chemical entity (NCE) designed to target the brain through delivery into the nasal cavity and onward to the brain. A Phase II study is being designed to analyze the effectiveness of ONP-002 on blood biomarkers and patient-reported outcomes of concussed patients.

Loss of consciousness along with acute memory impairment are linked to prolonged post-concussion symptoms and poor clinical outcomes. Oragenics’ breath-propelled device requires the patient to administer ONP-002 into the nose. Concussed patients with an acute altered mental state may not be capable of following these instructions. Oragenics intends to use its breath-propelled device in the planned Phase II trial, which calls for multiple days of treatment.

However, for those patients who have a loss of consciousness or altered mental status early on, the current automated prototype is being developed for their initial treatment by medical staff during the period in which they may struggle to follow directions for blowing.

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