Technology

Cutting-Edge
Water-Soluble Nano-Encapsulation Technology for Peptide Sprays

Peptides beyond the needle. Stable, fast-acting, and engineered for modern mucosal delivery.

NanoVantage™ is built around a patent-pending, water-soluble nano-encapsulation platform designed specifically for peptide and advanced active ingredients. Our oral and nasal sprays use ultra-small, sugar–starch–based particles in isotonic solutions to support rapid absorption, enhanced stability, and consistent dosing over time.
This page gives a science-backed overview of why peptide delivery is hard, how nano-encapsulation and mucosal (oral/nasal) routes help solve those problems, and the research that supports these approaches.

Why Peptides Are Hard to Deliver

Peptides are powerful but fragile. They are easily broken down by:

  • Acidic pH in the stomach
  • Digestive enzymes in the GI tract
  • Enzymes and barriers in mucosal tissues

Conventional oral delivery through the gastrointestinal tract often results in only about 1–2% of a peptide dose reaching systemic circulation, largely due to enzymatic degradation and poor permeability across the intestinal epithelium. [1,2]

Even buccal and sublingual routes, while bypassing first-pass liver metabolism, still face rapid wash-off by saliva and tight epithelial barriers, leaving most traditional formulations with very low systemic uptake in the 1–2% range without specialized formulation strategies. [1,3]

Historically, this is why so many peptide drugs have been limited to injectable forms.

Moving Beyond Injections: Mucosal Delivery as a New Standard

Two mucosal routes are especially attractive for peptides:

  • Oral cavity (sublingual and buccal) – highly vascular, thin epithelium in key regions, and direct access to systemic circulation while bypassing first-pass hepatic metabolism. [1,3]
  • Intranasal – rich blood supply, large surface area, and well-documented potential for both systemic and nose-to-brain delivery of therapeutic peptides. [4–7]

Recent reviews highlight that advanced nano-formulations, mucoadhesive systems, and permeation enhancers can transform these routes from low-efficiency options into practical platforms for peptide therapy. [1,3–5]

NanoVantage™ builds directly on these advances.

The NanoVantage™ Water-Soluble Nano-Encapsulation Platform

Sugar–Starch Nano-Matrix

NanoVantage sprays use a proprietary sugar–starch nano-matrix to encapsulate peptides and other actives in water-dispersible particles. This approach is supported by a growing body of research showing that:

  • Starch-based nano- and micro-capsules can protect sensitive bioactives, improve their solubility, and enhance bioavailability compared with traditional embedding agents such as gelatin or gum arabic. [8–11]
  • Encapsulation in polysaccharide-based nanocarriers helps maintain biological activity and control release, even for oxidatively or thermally labile compounds. [10–12]

In NanoVantage’s platform, the sugar–starch matrix functions as a protective shell that:

  • Shields peptides from hydrolysis, oxidation, and aggregation
  • Keeps them fully water-dispersible for isotonic spray formulations
  • Supports controlled dissolution and release at the mucosal surface
Nano-Scale Particle Engineering

Peptides are encapsulated into nano-scale particles, typically in the tens to low hundreds of nanometers. Literature on oral-cavity and nasal peptide delivery consistently shows that nano-sized carriers can: [1,4,10,11]

    • Increase contact with mucosal surfaces
    • Improve permeation through mucus
    • Protect against enzymatic degradation
    • Enable tunable release profiles
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Oral (Sublingual/Buccal) Sprays: Bioavailability & Performance

What the Research Shows

Advanced work on oral cavity delivery has demonstrated that:

  • Conventional buccal/sublingual delivery of peptides often yields systemic bioavailability around 1–2% due to mucosal barriers and rapid clearance. [1,3]
  • Nanoparticles, niosomes, nanofibers and permeation enhancers can dramatically increase mucosal transport of model peptides and proteins by improving residence time, protecting against proteases, and modulating tight junctions. [1,3]

In a 2024 study, a sublingual system using novel peptide carriers successfully delivered proteins up to 150 kDa with systemic pharmacodynamic effects (glucose control) comparable to subcutaneous injection in animal models—direct proof that well-engineered oral mucosal systems can approach injectable performance for macromolecules. [4]

A 2025 review specifically focused on buccal and sublingual delivery concludes that nanocarriers, mucoadhesive films, and penetration enhancers are key to transforming peptides from low-uptake to clinically viable via the oral cavity. [3]

How This Connects to NanoVantage™

NanoVantage oral sprays are designed to align with these validated principles:

  • Nano-encapsulation to protect peptides from salivary enzymes and support permeation
  • Isotonic, pH-balanced solutions to minimize irritation and support patient comfort
  • Rapid mucosal wetting and spreading, enabling fast onset
  • Pre-measured dosing to support consistent exposure over time

While each NanoVantage peptide spray has its own pharmacokinetic profile, the platform is explicitly engineered to move beyond the 1–2% bioavailability ceiling seen with conventional oral and mucosal formulations, using strategies that have already shown success in peer-reviewed sublingual and buccal research. [1,3,4]

Play Video

Nasal Sprays: Systemic and Nose-to-Brain Potential

Intranasal Peptide Delivery in the Literature

Intranasal administration has been extensively studied for peptide drugs such as insulin, desmopressin, calcitonin, oxytocin, GLP-1 analogs and antidiabetic peptides. [2,4–7,13]

Key findings include:

  • Intranasal systems can support rapid systemic absorption and clinically meaningful exposure for multiple peptide classes. [2,4,6,7]
  • Nose-to-brain delivery has been demonstrated in both preclinical and clinical studies, with intranasal formulation outperforming injectable routes for direct brain exposure in some cases—for example, an intranasal leptin-like peptide achieved roughly four-fold higher delivery to the brain compared with systemic injection in animal models. [7,9]
  • Recent work on nanoparticle-enabled nasal delivery shows improved mucosal retention, increased permeability, and more efficient targeting to brain tissue compared with simple solutions or suspensions. [4,10,13]

A 2022 review on nose-to-brain delivery of therapeutic peptides highlights nasal aerosols as a promising non-invasive route for CNS-targeted peptides, especially when paired with optimized particle engineering and formulation strategies. [6]

How This Connects to NanoVantage™

NanoVantage nasal sprays leverage these same design principles:

  • Nano-encapsulated particles to protect peptides as they contact nasal mucosa
  • Isotonic nasal solutions to maintain comfort and limit mucosal irritation
  • Engineered particle size and surface properties to support mucosal interaction and, where appropriate, potential nose-to-brain access

Taken together, the existing body of intranasal peptide research supports the core premise behind NanoVantage nasal sprays: with appropriate nano-engineering and formulation, nasal delivery can provide fast, meaningful systemic and/or CNS-adjacent exposure for peptides without needles. [4,6,7,10]

Stability, Shelf Life & Room-Temperature Storage

Keeping peptides stable in liquid form is a well-known challenge. They are susceptible to:

  • Deamidation
  • Oxidation
  • Aggregation and precipitation

A 2023 review on peptide stability in aqueous formulations notes that buffer optimization, pH control, exclusion of oxygen, and use of excipients (including polyols and polysaccharides) are core strategies to maintain peptide integrity and bioavailability in liquid products.[14]PubMed

Parallel work on polysaccharide-based nano-encapsulation shows that:

  • Starch nano- and micro-capsules can significantly improve the stability, antioxidant capacity, and bioavailability of encapsulated bioactives such as quercetin and other functional compounds, compared with non-encapsulated controls. [8,11–13]
  • Starch-derived nanogels and nanoparticles are being actively developed as delivery vehicles for bioactives, with documented improvements in solubility, protection from degradation, and controlled release under different environmental conditions. [10,11,15]

NanoVantage applies these formulation principles in a sugar–starch nano-matrix, coupled with:

  • Carefully selected buffers and pH ranges
  • Oxygen-limiting packaging
  • Isotonic solutions suitable for oral and nasal use

Internal stability testing (data on file) is used to support multi-month room-temperature shelf life for each specific formulation, with targets informed by the broader peptide-stability and polysaccharide-encapsulation literature. [8,11–15]

Proof of Concept: Oral Peptides and Absorption Enhancers

The approval of oral semaglutide, which uses the absorption enhancer SNAC (sodium N-[8-(2-hydroxybenzoyl) amino] caprylate), provides a powerful proof-of-concept that innovative formulation can turn low-bioavailability peptides into viable therapies. [2,16]

Even though the absolute bioavailability of oral semaglutide remains low in percentage terms, the clinical efficacy is robust, underscoring that formulation, route, and delivery system are just as important as raw bioavailability numbers.

NanoVantage applies the same mindset—combining nano-encapsulation, mucosal delivery, and isotonic liquid formulation—to open new possibilities for peptide-based products beyond traditional injectables.

Practical Advantages of NanoVantage™ Peptide Sprays

Putting the science together, NanoVantage sprays are designed to offer:

  • Needle-free delivery – no injections, improved experience and acceptance
  • Mucosal absorption via oral or nasal routes – bypassing GI degradation and first-pass metabolism
  • Water-soluble nano-encapsulation – protects peptides, supports solubility and controlled release
  • Isotonic, pH-balanced solutions – designed for comfort with oral and nasal tissues
  • Pre-measured spray dosing – consistent, repeatable administration
  • Room-temperature storage targets – supported by modern peptide-stability and polysaccharide-encapsulation strategies

No needles. No cold storage. No hassle.
Just advanced science, simplified for everyday clinical and product use.

Important Note

The information on this page summarizes general scientific principles related to peptide delivery, nano-encapsulation, and mucosal routes, and how the NanoVantage™ platform is designed in light of that research. It does not make claims about any specific product’s ability to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All NanoVantage products should be used under the guidance of qualified professionals and in accordance with local regulations.

References
  1. Amer AA, Bingle L, Elkordy AA, Chaw CS. Overcoming Oral Cavity Barriers for Peptide Delivery Using Advanced Pharmaceutical Techniques and Nano-Formulation Platforms. Biomedicines. 2025;13(11):2735. MDPI
  2. Niemiec A, Bułdak Ł, Okopień B. The Current and Promising Oral Delivery Methods for Protein- and Peptide-Based Drugs. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(2):815.MDPI
  3. Bahraminejad S, et al. Sublingual and Buccal Drug Delivery Systems: A Historical, Conventional, and Modern Scientific Perspective. Pharmaceutics. 2025;17(2).PMC
  4. Wu J, et al. Systemic Delivery of Proteins Using Novel Peptides via the Sublingual Route. J Control Release. 2024;374:223–239.PubMed
  5. Luo D, et al. Advanced Nasal Delivery Systems for Therapeutic Peptides: Achievements and Future Perspectives. Drug Deliv Transl Res. 2024.ScienceDirect
  6. Alabsi W, Eedara BB, Encinas-Basurto D, Polt R, Mansour HM. Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Therapeutic Peptides as Nasal Aerosols. Pharmaceutics. 2022;14(9):1870.MDPI
  7. Maeng J, Lee K, et al. Systemic and Brain Delivery of Antidiabetic Peptides Through Nasal Administration Using Cell-Penetrating Peptides. Front Pharmacol. 2022.Frontiers
  8. Tian S, et al. Preparation of Starch-Based Functional Food Nano-Microcapsule Loaded with Quercetin. Foods. 2022;11(17):2617.PMC+1
  9. Meredith ME, et al. Intranasal Delivery of a Synthetic Leptin-Like Peptide: Brain Exposure Is Four-Fold Higher Than After Systemic Administration. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2015.PMC
  10. Gandhi S, et al. Nasal Delivery to the Brain: Harnessing Nanoparticles for Treating Neurological Diseases. Pharmaceutics. 2024;16(2).PMC
  11. Rezagholizade-Shirvan A, et al. Bioactive Compound Encapsulation: Characteristics, Applications in Food Systems, and Implications for Human Health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024.ScienceDirect+1
  12. Pérez-Pérez V, et al. Exploring the Impact of Encapsulation on the Stability and Release of Bioactive Peptides. Foods. 2024;13(2).PMC
  13. Sun Y, et al. Quercetin-Loaded Ginkgo Starch Nanoparticles: Enhanced Solubility, Stability, and Cellular Activity. Foods. 2025;14(11):1890.MDPI
  14. Nugrahadi PP, Hinrichs WLJ, Frijlink HW, et al. Designing Formulation Strategies for Enhanced Stability of Therapeutic Peptides in Aqueous Solutions: A Review. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(3):935.PubMed
  15. Yang Z, et al. Starch-Based Nanogels as Emerging Delivery Systems for Bioactive Compounds. Carbohydr Polym. 2024.ScienceDirect
  16. Aroda VR, et al. A New Era for Oral Peptides: SNAC and the Development of Oral Semaglutide for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Ther. 2022;13(9):1925–1953.PMC
  17. Özsoy Y, Gökçe EH, Ertan G. Nasal Delivery of High Molecular Weight Drugs. J Pharm Sci. 2009;98(11):3761–3778.PMC