Pharmaceutically active carotenoids
AssigneeThe Howard Foundation
InventorsAlan N Howard, John T Landrum, Richard A Bone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are disclosed for pharmaceutical use in the treatment of advanced macular degeneration. High dosages are deployed to produce the high serum carotenoid levels needed to cause take-up by the macula.
Claims23
A method of therapy or prevention of age-related macular degeneration in a human subject by increasing deposition of yellow macular pigment in the macula of an eye of the subject, the method comprising orally administering to the subject a sufficient amount of mesozeaxanthin to increase the serum concentration of carotenoid(s) in the subject to at least 0.5 μg/ml and maintain the increased serum carotenoid concentration at or above 0.5 μg/ml for at least 14 days, and at least until the macular concentration of carotenoid(s) has achieved equilibrium.
A pharmaceutical treatment course package comprising means defining accessibly closed individual receptacles retaining respective dosage units of a pharmaceutical composition comprising an active mesozeaxanthin component together with a carrier, said receptacles being arranged in the package in a first group of high dosage units and a second group of lower dosage units, the first group of receptacles numbering at least 14 and having in each at least one dosage unit providing a total dosage of at least 10 mg/receptacle of mesozeaxanthin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.