Allergy spray for patients who are scared of needles

A NEW nasal spray to treat severe allergic reactions could help people who have a phobia of needles.

The spray, developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Insys Therapeutics, contains epinephrine, the same drug found in the Epipen device carried by those with allergies to peanuts, shellfish or insect bites. Although an Epipen works in an emergency, many patients dislike the idea of using a needle.

A nose spray could be a more popular solution and now a trial on 60 patients in the U.S. has found the spray delivered as much epinephrine into the body as a standard injection with an Epipen.