New study validates insulin nasal spray to deliver Alzheimer’s drug directly to the brain

July 23, 2025
6:23 am

A groundbreaking brain imaging study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine confirms a vital step toward new Alzheimer's disease treatments: Intranasal insulin, delivered via a simple nasal spray, safely and effectively reaches key memory regions of the brain in older adults. The study also revealed that people with early cognitive decline absorb it differently.

This research, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, describes the results of a milestone positron emission tomography (PET) imaging study.

It directly shows that intranasal insulin travels to 11 key brain regions associated with memory and cognition. Previously, researchers faced challenges in earlier intranasal insulin trials because they couldn’t confirm if the treatment was reaching its brain targets.

“This study fills a critical gap in our understanding of how intranasal insulin reaches the brain,” said Suzanne Craft, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. According to Craft, insulin resistance is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

New study validates insulin nasal spray to deliver Alzheimer’s drug directly to the brain

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