Agents and methods for enhancing photodynamic therapy
AssigneeAllergan, Inc.
InventorsJames Burke, Elizabeth Syage, Michael Garst, Larry Wheeler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A chemical conjugate for administration to a patient undergoing photodynamic therapy includes a photoactive compound coupled to a leakage reducing agent that is structured to reduce leakage of the photoactive compound from a patient's vasculature. The leakage reducing agent may be a bulking agent to reduce, for example, sterically reduce, the permeability of the photoactive compound through the blood vessel, or it may be a ligand that binds to endothelial cells of a patient's choriocapillaries. The conjugate may be used in methods of reducing secondary damage associated with photodynamic therapy.
Claims31
A conjugate for reducing secondary damage associated with laser treatment of choroidal neovascularization, the conjugate comprising a photoactive compound coupled to a bulking agent so that the size of the conjugate is greater than the size of the photoactive compound without the bulking agent, and the size is sufficient to reduce permeability of the photoactive compound from a blood vessel of a patient after the conjugate is administered to the patient relative to the permeability of the photoactive compound from a blood vessel of a patent after the photoactive compound without the bulking agent is administered to the patient.
A method for reducing secondary damage associated with laser treatment of choroidal neovascularization, comprising a step of:
- administering a conjugate to a patient having a choroidal neovascularization, the conjugate comprising a photoactive compound coupled to a bulking agent that is sized to reduce permeability of the photoactive compound through a blood vessel of the patient to reduce the amount of the photoactive compound outside of the blood vessel when electromagnetic energy from a laser is applied to the choroidal neovascularization relative to administering the photoactive compound without the bulking agent to the patient.
A conjugate for reducing secondary damage associated with laser treatment of choroidal neovascularization, comprising:
- a photoactive compound structured to absorb energy emitted from a laser;
- and
- a leakage reducing agent coupled to the photoactive compound, the leakage reducing agent being structured to reduce leakage of the photoactive compound from a choriocapillary in an eye of a patient into the choriocapillaris of the eye of the patient after the conjugate has been administered to the patient relative to after the photoactive compound without the leakage reducing agent has been administered to the eye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.