Method for pulmonary and oral delivery of pharmaceuticals
AssigneeElan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
InventorsGary Ward, Robert Schultz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a powder formulation for use in a dry powder inhaler, a pharmaceutical acts as its own carrier, so that use of lactose or other excipients are not needed. The dry powder formulation has a single active pharmaceutical compound having two major populations in particle size distribution: microfine particles of the active pharmaceutical, of 1-10 microns in diameter, and larger carrier particles, also of the active pharmaceutical compound. The carrier particles provide a long acting, delayed onset, and optionally therapeutic effect via the GI tract, while the microfine particles provide a fast onset effect via the lung.
Claims23
A method for simultaneous delivery of a therapeutically active amount of a powder formulation to both the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract of a patient comprising the steps of:
- preparing a formulation of a pharmaceutical powder comprising active carrier particles and active microfine particles;
- loading the formulation into a dry powder inhaler;
- inhaling the formulation, with a therapeutically effective amount of the carrier particles passing into the patient's gastrointestinal tract.
A method for simultaneous delivery of a pharmaceutical formulation to both the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a formulation of a substantially pure dry pharmaceutical powder including active inhalable particles having a diameter of 1-10 microns average volume median diameter and including carrier particles having at least 30 microns average volume median diameter, and with the carrier particles comprising the same pharmaceutical compound as the active particles;
- loading the formulation into a dry powder inhaler;
- and
- inhaling the formulation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.