Dry pharmaceutical compositions comprising active agent nanoparticles bound to carrier particles

Provided herein are dry pharmaceutical compositions suitable for transmucosal delivery, comprising dry particles, such as spray-dried particles, that include pharmaceutically active agent nanoparticles, a binder, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, where the active agent nanoparticles have an average particle size diameter prior to processing of less than about 1 [mu]m, and wherein up to 10% of the spray-dried particles have a particle size of less than 10 [mu]m; at least 50% of the spray-dried particles have a particle size of at least about 15 [mu]m; and at least 90% of the spray-dried particles have a particle size of up to about 55 [mu]m. Also provided are methods for making such pharmaceutical compositions and therapeutic methods comprising transmucosally administering the compositions, such as intranasally or intravaginally, or by other routes of administration.