NovaDel Pharma Inc. announced that Zolpimist (zolpidem tartrate) 5 mg and 10 mg oral spray has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the short-term treatment of insomnia characterized by difficulties with sleep initiation.

Zolpimist is NovaDel's second product approved by the FDA that uses NovaDel's proprietary NovaMist oral spray technology. Zolpimist contains zolpidem tartrate, the same active ingredient as Ambien, the world's leading sedative hypnotic for the treatment of insomnia.

"We believe the FDA's approval of Zolpimist provides patients with an important treatment option for insomnia, as Zolpimist provides rapid absorption from the oral mucosa," commented Steven B. Ratoff, chairman of the board and Interim CEO of NovaDel. "This achievement is another major milestone for NovaDel as it further validates our ability to develop innovative drugs based on the NovaMist technology. We are actively seeking a partner to commercialize this innovative product and believe that this approval should enhance those efforts."

NovaDel submitted its Zolpimist application using the FDA's 505(b)(2) process based on data from two randomized, open-label, dose-ranging studies comparing Zolpimist with Ambien tablets in young and elderly healthy volunteers. Both studies compared the pharmacokinetics and safety of comparable doses of zolpidem administered as an oral spray versus tablets. The pharmacokinetic profiles were assessed by the maximum drug concentration (Cmax) and total exposure to drug (area-under-the-curve/AUC0-inf). The speed of drug absorption and level of sedation were also assessed in these studies. The results demonstrated bioequivalence between Zolpimist and Ambien. Also included in the submission were data from process validation and registration stability batches produced at the intended commercial manufacturing facility.

NovaDel Pharma Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company developing oral spray formulations for a broad range of marketed drugs. The Company's proprietary technology offers, in comparison to conventional oral dosage forms, the potential for faster absorption of drugs into the bloodstream leading to quicker onset of therapeutic effects and possibly reduced first pass liver metabolism, which may result in lower doses.