[SCOW] Nasal Spray for Motion Sickness

just an interesting item I thought I would pass along...

Regards,
Steve

Begin forwarded message:

From: NASA News <hqnews@mediaservices.nasa.gov>

Date: October 12, 2012 10:42:18 AM EDT

To: NASA News <hqnews@mediaservices.nasa.gov>

Subject: NASA Signs Agreement to Develop Nasal Spray for Motion Sickness

Oct. 12, 2012

Rachel Kraft
Headquarters, Washington                     
202-358-1100
rachel.h.kraft@nasa.gov

William Jeffs
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
william.p.jeffs@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 12-361

NASA SIGNS AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP NASAL SPRAY FOR MOTION SICKNESS

HOUSTON -- NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and Epiomed
Therapeutics Inc. of Irvine, Calif., have signed an agreement to
develop and commercialize a NASA-crafted, fast-acting nasal spray to
fight motion sickness.

Under the Space Act Agreement, Epiomed will formulate the drug, called
intranasal scopolamine, or INSCOP. Astronauts often experience motion
sickness in space. As a result, NASA has conducted extensive research
into the causes and treatments for the condition. Scopolamine is
effective and can be administered as a tablet or injected. With a
precise dosage, the NASA spray formulation has been shown to work
faster and more reliably than the oral form.

"NASA and Epiomed will work closely together on further development of
INSCOP to optimize therapeutic efficiency for both acute and chronic
treatment of motion sickness which can be used by NASA, the
Department of Defense and world travelers on land, in the air and on
the seas," said Lakshmi Putcha, developer of the innovative treatment
strategy at Johnson.

A gel formulation of INSCOP was developed and tested under a Space Act
Agreement between Johnson and the Naval Aerospace Medical Research
Laboratory in Pensacola, Fla. Results from that trial were published
in the journal Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine in April
2010 that suggest INSCOP is a fast-acting and reliable way to prevent
and treat motion sickness.

The U.S. Navy is working on an agreement with Epiomed to test the
nasal spray. NASA and Epiomed will collaborate on clinical trials
related to the Federal Drug Administration requirements. NASA is
transferring sponsorship of future clinical trials and FDA approvals
to Epiomed, which will supply the product for use by NASA and others.


For more about Johnson's Human Health and Performance Directorate,
which developed INSCOP, visit:

http://go.nasa.gov/RiKclM

For more on NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov


-end-



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