Methods and kits for volumetric distribution of pharmaceutical agents via the vascular adventitia and microcirculation
AssigneeMercator MedSystems, Inc.
InventorsKirk Seward, Lynn Barr, Judith Wilber, Robert Cafferata
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and kits for delivering pharmaceutical agents to the adventitia and other regions outside the external elastic lamina (EEL) surrounding a blood vessel utilize a catheter having a needle. The needle is positioned in up to 5 mm beyond the EEL and delivers an amount of pharmaceutical agent sufficient to circumferentially permeate around the blood vessel and, in many cases, extend longitudinally and radially along the blood vessel. Confirmation that a delivery aperture of the needle lies beyond the EEL may be required before delivering the pharmaceutical agent.
Claims30
A method for the volumetric distribution of a pharmaceutical agent in the tissue of a living vertebrate host, said method comprising:
- positioning a needle through the wall of a target blood vessel so that an aperture of the needle is positioned beyond an external elastic lamina (EEL) of the wall;
- and
- delivering an amount of a pharmaceutical agent comprising an anti-proliferative agent including a macrolide mTOR inhibitor from the aperture so that the agent distributes both longitudinally and radially from the injection site.
A kit for delivering a pharmaceutical agent to a patient suffering from or at risk of vascular disease, said kit comprising:
- a catheter having a needle which can be advanced from a blood vessel lumen through a wall of the blood vessel to position an aperture of the needle beyond an external elastic lamina (EEL) of the wall;
- and
- a pharmaceutical agent injectable through said needle, said agent comprising an anti-proliferative agent including a macrolide mTOR inhibitor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.