Formulations comprising cyclic compounds

A method of manufacturing a pharmaceutical or diagnostic composition, said method comprising:

• formulating in a non-aqueous hydrophobic delivery vehicle a complex comprising (i) a metal ion, (ii) a pharmaceutical or diagnostic active agent, and (iii) a cyclic compound of formula (I)
• wherein
• A, B independently in each occurrence is alkane-i,j-diyl having k carbon atoms, i and independently j being less than or equal k and k being selected from 1 to 10, wherein said alkane-i,j-diyl
• (i) may comprise one or more double bonds;
• (ii) is optionally substituted;
• and/or
• (iii) comprises a cycle, wherein the total number of cycles being cyclic sugars in said compound is selected from 0 to 4 and is less than p·(n+m);
• X,Y independently in each occurrence is a biocompatible functional group comprising at least one oxygen atom or two sulphur atoms;
• n, m independently of each other are selected from 0 to 20;
• p is selected from 1 to 10;
• n+m is equal or greater than 1;
• and
• p·(n+m) is selected from 3 to 30;
• wherein said cyclic compound is capable of forming a complex with said metal ion, said active agent forming a salt with said metal ion, and wherein one or more properties of said active agent are improved, said properties being selected from the group consisting of transmembrane delivery, transmucosal delivery, solubility in non-aqueous solvents, and stability

A cyclic compound selected from the group consisting of

• (a) a cyclic tetrameric, hexameric or octameric polyester or polyorthoester, wherein said polyester or polyorthoester comprise alternating monomers of (i) glycolic acid substituted in the alpha position with a linear or branched alkyl group with N carbon atoms, and (ii) glycolic acid substituted in the alpha position with a linear or branched alkyl group with N+K carbon atoms, wherein N is selected from 0 and 1 and K is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;
• (b) a cyclic hexamer, heptamer or octamer of glycolic acid, or of lactic and glycolic acid;
• (c) a cyclic heptamer of lactic acid;
• and
• (d) a cyclic tetrameric, hexameric or octameric depsipeptide, wherein said depsipeptide comprises alternating monomers of (i) alpha-hydroxy acids having between 2 and 10 carbon atoms and (ii) glycine.

A method of producing a pharmaceutical or diagnostic composition for transmembrane or transmucosal delivery of an active agent, the method comprising:

• (a) contacting said active agent with a cyclic compound in an organic solvent to form a soluble complex of said cyclic compound and said active agent, said cyclic compound comprising a crown structure having at least one biodegradable ester linkage, and capable of forming a complex with said active agent;
• (b) removing said organic solvent to form a solid comprising said active agent in complex with said cyclic compound;
• and
• (c) solubilizing said solid in a hydrophobic vehicle comprising a non-aqueous solvent capable of solubilizing said solid and transmembrane or transmucosal delivery of said active agent.