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ALK, a global specialty pharmaceutical company, presents new findings that directly compare user preference between needle-free nasal and injectable adrenaline treatments for anaphylaxis, demonstrating that 88% of participants prefer EURneffy—the first and only approved needle-free adrenaline-based product—over traditional adrenaline auto-injectors.
The late-breaking data, presented at the 2026 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, United States, suggest EURneffy has the potential to address persistent practical and psychological barriers that limit consistent auto-injector availability and usage, leaving many patients without lifesaving medication when they need it most. Research shows that approximately half of those living with a severe allergy did not administer their auto-injector when needed in an emergency and half did not consistently carry their prescribed auto-injector.
In this randomised crossover study of 90 participants, 88% significantly preferred EURneffy over auto-injectors. This preference was consistent among participants with and without previous experience of severe allergies or auto-injectors, indicating that device familiarity alone did not drive patient preference. It was mainly driven by how easy it is to carry and use, the absence of a needle, the device being less stigmatising due to its look and feel, and the belief that it would be easier to administer with the help of bystanders if needed.
“These data offer robust insights into user preferences, showing a consistent preference for EURneffy over auto-injectors, even in participants with years of auto-injector experience,” said Dr Douglas P. Mack, lead author and pediatric allergy, asthma and immunology specialist, Halton Pediatric Allergy, Ontario, Canada and assistant clinical professor, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada. “By reducing everyday challenges to carrying and using adrenaline, EURneffy needle-free nasal adrenaline spray may help people with life-threatening allergies feel more confident and prepared to act quickly in an emergency. These findings underscore the need for clinicians and payers to expand treatment choices to help improve readiness, confidence, and ultimately quality of life for those living with a constant risk of anaphylaxis.”
Additional findings from the study showed that participants found EURneffy to be significantly easier to carry and more likely to be kept on-person consistently. Out of ten statements addressing well-documented barriers to carrying adrenaline, participants rated all more favourably for EURneffy than for auto-injectors. The key advantages noted by 98–100% of participants included its size, weight and temperature flexibility, and 93% agreed that they could bring it in all daily situations, compared with 43% for autoinjectors.
“These findings show that being familiar with a device doesn’t necessarily mean people feel confident using it in real life – or comfortable carrying it day to day,” said Sarah Lacquiere, co-author and associate director global adrenaline partnerships, global anaphylaxis business unit at ALK. “Most participants, whether they already carried an adrenaline auto-injector or not, preferred EURneffy and rated it as significantly easier to take with them. This reinforces the close link between confidence, engagement and everyday carriage, and highlights how important it is for clinicians to consider portability when discussing adrenaline options with people living with severe allergies.”
The data presented at AAAAI 2026 represent the first insights from this EURneffy user study, with additional results planned to be presented at future congresses across the remainder of 2026 and beyond.
EURneffy is well absorbed through the nose and distributed quickly into body tissues, offering a portable, pocket-sized alternative to injectable forms of adrenaline for treating severe allergic reactions. EURneffy has a 30-month total shelf life, no special storage requirements and freezing does not affect its shelf life.6 Upon activation, the EURneffy nasal spray delivers a full, single dose of adrenaline, without the need for priming.
In the United States (US), Japan and China, EURneffy 2 mg is approved under the brand name neffy. In 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved neffy 1 mg for the treatment of Type I allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in children who are aged =4 years and weigh 15–30 kg, and Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) approved neffy 1 mg and 2 mg doses for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) in adults and children who weigh =15 kg. EURneffy/neffy 2 mg has also been approved by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). In the European Union, EURneffy 2 mg was approved in August 2024 for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis in adults and children who weigh =30 kg. In January 2026, EURneffy 1 mg received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use in children aged =4 years with a bodyweight between 15–30 kg.
The study included 90 participants that evaluated EURneffy versus an adrenaline auto-injector: 60 with severe allergy who had an auto-injector or cared for someone who did, and 30 completely new to auto-injectors and severe allergy. None of the participants had prior experience with EURneffy. All participants either used (n=60) or watched someone else use (n=30) trainer versions of both devices (no needle in the auto-injector device or medicine in either device), and viewed the official instructional videos and summarising information about shelf life, storage conditions, temperature restrictions and how to dispose of both devices, before completing a set of questionnaires using expert-driven rating scales regarding ease of carriage and to determine their device preference.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of an allergic reaction, characterised by the acute onset of symptoms involving different organ systems. It is a serious and potentially life-threatening event that can occur within minutes of exposure to an allergen and, regardless of the allergen involved, requires immediate medical intervention. Adrenaline is the recommended first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, and prompt treatment with adrenaline significantly reduces morbidity and mortality associated with severe allergic reactions. Adrenaline auto-injectors have been shown to be highly effective, however there are established limitations with their use.
ALK is a global specialty pharmaceutical company focused on allergy. ALK's activities cover the entire value chain of developing, sourcing, producing, and marketing a diversified portfolio of products for diagnosing and treating respiratory allergies and severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) in both children and adults.
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