Microparticular pharmaceutical compositions

A pharmaceutical composition prepared by the process comprising (a) admixing about 0.15-5 mg/l of at least one pharmaceutically-active agent, about 17.5-70 g/l of at least one phospholipid selected from the group consisting of glycerophosphatcs, glycerophosphorylcbolines, phosphorylcholines, glycerophosphorylethanolamines, phosphorylethanolamines, glycerophosporylserines, and glycerophosphorylglycerols, about 3.5-34.5 mg/l of at least one phospholipid selected from the group consisting of sn-1-acyl-3-glycerophosphate, sn-1,2-diacylglycerol, sn-1-acyl-3-glycerophosphorylcholine, sn-1-diacyl-3-glycerophosphatc, sn-1-diacyl-3-glycerophosphorylethanolamine, sn-1-,2-acyl-3-glycerophosphorylserine, sn-1,2-acyl-3-glycerophosphate, sn-1-acyl-3-glycerophosphoryl-glycerol, sn-1,2-diacylglycerophosphate, 1-myristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-myristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoetharnolarnine, 1-myristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(N,N-dimethyl)-ethanolarnine, 1-palmltoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-palmitoyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-palmltoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(N,N-dimethyl)-ethanolamine, 1-stearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and mixtures thereof, about 0.05-20 w/v % of at least one non-ionic surfactant having an HLB value of about 15 or greater which is a polyoxyethylene compound having from 1-100 oxyethylene moieties selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene-lauryl ether, polyoxyethylene-hydrogenated castor oil, polyoxyethylene-sorbitan monooleate, polyoxyethylene-monostearate, and polyoxyethylene-lauryl ether, about 0.5-5 w/v % of at least one non-ionic surfactant having an HLB value of about 6 or less selected from the group consisting of sorbitan-monocaprylate, sorbitan-monopalimitate, sorbitan-monostcaratc, sorbitan-sesquisterate, sorbitan-trioleate, sorbitan-monooleate, sorbitan-sesquioleate, sorbitan-dioleate, glyceryl-monostearate, glyceryl-monoleate, glycerol-dioleate, decaglyceryl-monstearate, decaglyceryl-pentastearate, decaglyceryl-monlinolate, decaglyceryl-monolaurate, and decaglyceryl-monomyristate, and about 9.75-39 g/l of at least one sterol selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethanyl-cholesterol adipate, cholesterol, cholesterol esters, cholesteryl-17-bromohepta-decanoate, cholesterol oleate, cholesterol palmitate, cholesterol sulfate, cholesterol monohydrate, and mixtures thereof, and micronizing the admixture to form microparticles;

• and (b) suspending the microparticles in at least one fatty acid having a chain length of C.sub.1 to C.sub.14, thereby permitting the microparticles to associate to form micelles suspended in the fatty acid.