Claims
- 1. A pharmaceutically-active material comprising an antidepressant compound selected from the group consisting of fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, nefazodone, venlafaxine, trazodone, buproprion, mirtazapine, fluvoxamine, duloxetine, pharmaceutically-acceptable salts of those compounds, long-chain derivatives of those compounds, and mixtures thereof, contained in microparticles formulated so as to release the antidepressant compound, when introduced into a patient, over an extended period of time.
- 2. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 1 wherein the microparticles are formulated so as to release the antidepressant compound over a period of from about one week to about one year.
- 3. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 2 wherein the antidepressant compound is selected from sertraline, pharmaceutically-acceptable salts of sertraline, long chain derivatives of sertraline, and mixtures thereof.
- 4. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 3 wherein the long-chain sertraline derivatives have the formula:
- 5. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 4 wherein antidepressant compound is sertraline decanamide.
- 6. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 1 wherein the microparticles contain from about 1% to about 90% of the antidepressant compound.
- 7. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 6 wherein the antidepressant compound is present in the microparticles in crystalline form.
- 8. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 7 wherein the microparticles have a size of from about 25 to about 180 microns.
- 9. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 8 wherein the microparticles are produced by dissolving in a solvent the antidepressant compound and a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer to form an organic phase, and extracting the solvent to form microparticles.
- 10. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 9 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(lactic) acid, poly(glycolic) acid, copolymers of the foregoing, poly(aliphatic carboxylic acid), copolyoxalates, polycaprolactone, polydioxonene, poly(ortho carbonates), poly(acetals), poly(lactic acid-caprolactone), poly(orthoethers), poly(glycolic acid-aprolactone), polyanhydrides, albumin, casein, waxes, and mixtures thereof.
- 11. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 10 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(lactic) acid, poly(glycolic) acid, copolymers of the foregoing, poly(ortho esters), and mixtures thereof.
- 12. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 11 wherein the antidepressant compound is selected from sertraline, pharmaceutically-acceptable salts of sertraline, long chain derivatives of sertraline, and mixtures thereof.
- 13. The pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 12 wherein the long-chain derivatives of sertraline have the formula:
- 14. The pharmaceutically-active materials according to claim 13 wherein the antidepressant active is sertraline decanamide.
- 15. The pharmaceutically-active materials according to claim 12 where the antidepressant is sertraline hydrochloride.
- 16. A pharmaceutical composition comprising:
(a) a safe and effective amount of the pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 1; and (b) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.
- 17. A pharmaceutical composition comprising:
(a) a safe and effective amount of the pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 11; and (b) a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.
- 18. A method of treating depression or depression-relating conditions comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a safe and effective amount of a pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 1.
- 19. A method of treating depression or depression-related conditions comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a safe and effective amount of the pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 11.
- 20. A method of treating depression or depression-related conditions comprising administering to a patient in need of such treatment a safe and effective amount of the pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 12.
- 21. A method of achieving in a patient a therapeutic effect longer than that achieved when an equimolar amount of an antidepressant agent is administered comprising administering to that patient a safe and effective amount of the pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 1.
- 22. A method of achieving in a patient a therapeutic effect longer than that achieved when or equimolor amount of an antidepressant agent is administered comprising administering to that patient a safe and effective amount of the pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 11.
- 23. A method of achieving in a patient a therapeutic effect longer than that achieved when a equimolor amount of an antidepressant agent is administered comprising administering to that patient a safe and effective amount of the pharmaceutically-active material according to claim 12.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/234,434, filed Sep. 21, 2000.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60234434 |
Sep 2000 |
US |