Claims for Patent: 8,039,494

Summary for Patent: 8,039,494

Title:	Compositions and methods for treating diseases of the nail
Abstract:	Methods and compositions for treating disorders of the nail and nail bed. Such compositions contain a vehicle in which all components of the composition are dissolved, suspended, dispersed, or emulsified, a non-volatile solvent, a wetting agent, and a pharmaceutically active ingredient that is soluble in the non-volatile solvent and/or a mixture of the vehicle and the non-volatile solvent, which composition has a surface tension of 40 dynes/cm or less and has continuing spreadability, and which composition is effective in treating a disorder of the nail or nail bed.
Inventor(s):	Winckle; Gareth (Petaluma, CA), Fieldson; Gregory T. (Morgantown, WV)
Assignee:	Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences, Inc. (Petaluma, CA)
Application Number:	12/803,848
Patent Litigation and PTAB cases:	See patent lawsuits and PTAB cases for patent 8,039,494
Patent Claims:	1. A method for the treatment of a disorder of the nail or nail bed comprising topically applying to the surface of the nail of an individual suffering from said disorder a pharmaceutical composition consisting essentially of a vehicle that is volatile and/or that rapidly penetrates a nail following application onto the surface of the nail, a triazole antifungal active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), and a wetting agent, and optionally a non-volatile solvent that is dissolved, suspended, dispersed, or emulsified within the vehicle, and wherein the application of the composition is in an amount and for a time sufficient to ameliorate the signs and symptoms of the disorder, wherein the surface tension of the composition is 40 dynes/cm or less and wherein the composition, when applied to the surface of a nail, does not form a solid film. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wetting agent and the vehicle are the same compound. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wetting agent is a volatile silicone. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is an alcohol. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical formulation contains a non-polar non-volatile solvent. 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the non-volatile solvent is one or more esters of the formula RCO--OR', wherein R and R' may be identical or different and each of R and R' represents a linear or branched chain of an alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, or alkoxycarbonyloxyalkyl radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the triazole compound is (2R,3R)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3-(4-methylenepiperidine-1-yl)-1-(1H-1,2,4- -triazole-1-yl)butane-2-ol. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the pharmaceutical composition consists essentially of an alcohol vehicle, a non-volatile solvent comprising one or more esters of the formula RCO--OR', wherein R and R' may be identical or different and each of R and R' represents a linear or branched chain of an alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, or alkoxycarbonyloxyalkyl radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, and a volatile silicone wetting agent. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the triazole compound is (2R,3R)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3-(4-methylenepiperidine-1-yl)-1-(1'-1-1,2- ,4-triazole-1-yl)butane-2-ol. 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the alcohol is ethanol. 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the non-volatile solvent comprises diisopropyl adipate and C12-15 alkyl lactate. 12. The method of claim 8 wherein the volatile silicone wetting agent is cyclomethicone. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the disorder is onychomycosis. 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition does not comprise a polymeric film forming compound. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the composition increases in spread on the surface of a clean dry glass slide throughout the six-minute period immediately following application of the composition to the surface of the slide. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the spread of the composition on the surface of the slide encompasses an area of greater than 11.0 cm within 10 minutes following application of 100 microliters of the composition to the surface of the slide. 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface tension is 35 dynes/cm or less. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the surface tension is 30 dynes/cm or less. 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the surface tension is 25 dynes/cm or less.