Long-term study shows better quality of life with NOSA Smell training

Today a new clinical study by the Karolinska Institute, in collaboration with Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, is being published. The study shows that NOSA Smell Training significantly improves both perceived olfactory ability and quality of life in people with olfactory loss (hyposmia). The study also demonstrates that NOSA Smell Training leads to a greater increase in both quality of life and perceived sense of smell than the currently recommended treatment method in Sweden. The study is a one-year follow-up to an earlier study which showed that NOSA Smell Training is a more effective treatment method than today’s recommended therapy for olfactory loss.

The study is comparative and measures “quality of life,” where participants with reduced sense of smell rate how they feel both immediately after treatment and one year after completing treatment. The assessment is based on two questionnaires:

1. “Olfactory-related Quality of Life” – 28 questions linked to how the reduced sense of smell affects their well-being.
2. “Mental and Physical-related Quality of Life” – 36 questions linked to their mental and physical well-being.

The study shows that individuals who undergo treatment with NOSA Smell Training generally experienced better progress in both their mental and physical health compared with today’s standard treatment within the Swedish healthcare system. In particular, strong improvements in social functioning could be observed in the group using NOSA Smell Training.

“Patients who perform smell training with NOSA Smell Training achieve significantly higher subjective quantitative smell scores at the one-year follow-up compared with the standard-care group,” says Johan Lundström, study author and professor at the Karolinska Institute, Department of Clinical Neuroscience.

The discussion further highlights that the longer exposure to each scent with NOSA Smell Training (20 minutes, morning and evening) may be a good way to shorten the total treatment time. NOSA Smell Training is an eight-week treatment, compared with the standard therapy which is recommended for at least twelve weeks.

“NOSA Smell Training enables more people to regain their sense of smell and at the same time allows for improved quality of life, both in the short and long term. This is beneficial not only for the individual, but also for society as a whole, resulting in lower healthcare costs,” says Adrian Liljefors, CEO of Nosa Plugs AB (publ).

One of the biggest problems for patients with olfactory loss is reduced quality of life and many are forced to seek care both due to cognitive impairment and because of mental health issues such as depression.

The positive study results mean that the likelihood of obtaining product approval for “reimbursement” or inclusion in the high-cost protection scheme is now considered good. The company will shortly begin the application process in a small number of selected European markets.

The full study is attached to this document.