Aquilon Pharma initiated the NARIS project (duration: 48 months), launched in July 2025 and awarded a €905.000 research grant from Belgium’s Walloon Region government.
Standard nasal sprays use preservatives, such as Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC) that can cause unwanted side effects, such as allergies or damage to the mucosal lining of the nose. Consequently,
the European Medicine Agency (EMA) recommends removing BAC from intranasal products.
Driven by the regulatory recommendations, as well as the desire to protect patients from adverse events, Aquilon has joined his expertise in formulation technology with the German company, Ursatec GmbH, German market leader in dosing devices for multiple applications of preservative-free products, to develop preservative-free approaches.
The NARIS project aims to develop and market innovative nasal sprays combining a preservative-free liquid pharmaceutical formulation with an innovative dosing device (3K® dosing system) which will guarantee the sterility of the product without the use of preservatives. These treatments will target various forms of (non)-allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis by combining corticosteroids and antihistamines or nasal mucosa protective agents.
With this new project, Aquilon leverages its formulation technology using HPBetadex in another area of expertise.
