People looking for protection from severe allergic reactions may have to wait longer for a less painful alternative to Epipen needles.

According to a news release from a biopharmaceutical company hoping to market an epinephrine nasal spray has been told by the Food and Drug Administration that the product needs more testing.

ARS Pharmaceuticals claims its neffy spray would treat adults and children from severe type 1 allergic reactions that could lead to anaphylaxis.

The FDA has requested the completion of a study assessing the impact of repeat doses of neffy compared to repeat doses of an epinephrine injection product under allergen-induced allergic rhinitis conditions.

ARS says that in May, a majority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Pulmonary-Allergy Drug Advisory Committee voted in favor for adults, and children under 18 years old and weighing more than 66 pounds, that available data support a favorable benefit-risk assessment for neffy in the treatment of severe allergic reaction (Type 1), including anaphylaxis, for adults and children who weigh more than 66 pounds.

According to the company, some studies have found that some patients and caregivers delay or decline to administer epinephrine autoinjections in emergencies due to factors including fear of the needle, lack of portability, needle-related safety concerns, lack of reliability, and complexity of the devices.

There are approximately 40 million people in the United States who experience Type I severe allergic reactions due to food, venom or insect stings, says ARS in the news release.  Of those, only 3.3 million currently have an active epinephrine autoinjector prescription, and of those, only half consistently carry their prescribed autoinjector.

ARS Pharma says it plans to submit an appeal through a Formal Dispute Resolution Request.