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July 23, 2003
Scopolamine Nasal Spray for Motion Sickness

Scopolamine has been used successfully for treatment of motion sickness for almost a century, and nasal administration was first studied 50 years ago. After a new, stable and suitable formulation was developed for scopolamine nasal spray, the AUDIT Institute for Medical Services and Quality Assurance, Germany, compared two formulations of scopolamine nasal spray with oral dimenhydrinate (Dramamine®) and placebo. Researchers at the German Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine investigated efficacy, safety, and tolerability, using a randomized, double-blind, crossover design including placebo control. To assess the effectiveness of scopolamine nasal spray, whole body vibrations were induced by a rotating chair and a validated seasickness score (SKS) was utilized. The reduction of SKS showed that scopolamine nasal spray at a concentration of 0.2% was statistically superior to both placebo and dimenhydrinate. The spray was well-tolerated; there were no signs of irritation of the nasal or epipharyngeal mucous membranes. The study concluded that scopolamine nasal spray is an effective and safe treatment in motion sickness, with a fast onset of action within 30 minutes after administration.

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Eur J Pharm Sci 2001 May;13(2):227-32

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