Inhaled Oxytocin Project
Making childbirth safer for mothers everywhere
Severe bleeding after birth, known as postpartum haemorrhage, is the leading cause of maternal mortality which occurs overwhelmingly in low- and middle-income countries, due in part to poor access to quality oxytocin.
As oxytocin currently exists as an injection that requires refrigeration, women in resource-poor settings have limited access. This form of application is also impractical and dangerous.
The Inhaled Oxytocin Project, led by Professor Michelle McIntosh from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, partners with two large multinational pharmaceutical companies to address the issue: Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. and GlaxoSmithKline. Their goal is to make childbirth safe for women everywhere by developing an inhaled form of oxytocin that is heat stable, non-invasive and simple to use, as well as creating a product that reliably delivers the required dose of oxytocin independent of storage conditions.
As the Inhaled Oxytocin Project strives to make a global impact, researchers spend a considerable time engaging with local stakeholders to understand the political, cultural and socioeconomic factors influencing the project.
