Loading patent…
AssigneesHiroshi SHIONOYA, Chondrex Inc., Muromachi Chemical Co., Ltd.
InventorsKuniaki Terato, Hiroshi Shionoya, Sadaichi Iwashita
Estimating the term…
It is believed that the abnormal absorption of endotoxin present in the gastrointestinal tract relates to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. In an animal model for rheumatoid arthritis, it is observed that arthritis is improved by removing endotoxin. The present invention provides an endotoxin-adsorbent, which is capable of removing endotoxin in the gastrointestinal tract and can be administered to humans safely. By using a non-digestible and non-absorbable, and therefore, safe endotoxin-adsorbent, which has a high endotoxin-binding capacity for removing large amounts of endotoxin present in the gastrointestinal tract, it is possible to prevent and treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
A method of treating rheumatoid arthritis in a patient having rheumatoid arthritis comprising the step of orally administering to the patient a pharmacologically effective amount of an endotoxin-adsorbent comprising a Lipid A-binding molecule having an endotoxin-binding activity and particles carrying the Lipid A-binding molecule, the Lipid A-binding molecule being polymixin B, the particles carrying the endotoxin-binding active group comprising a resin having an epoxy residue and the endotoxin-absorbent comprising indigestible particles in which no more than 1% of the particles are not more than 5 μm in diameter and more than 90% of the particles are not more than 50 μm in diameter, based on volume-based distribution analysis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.