Details for Patent: 6,740,309

Title:	Delivery of compounds for the treatment of migraine through an inhalation route
Abstract:	The present invention relates to the delivery of a migraine headache drug through an inhalation route. Specifically, it relates to aerosols containing a migraine headache drug that are used in inhalation therapy. In a composition aspect of the present invention, the aerosol comprises particles comprising at least 5 percent by weight of a migraine headache drug. In a method aspect of the present invention, a migraine headache drug is delivered to a mammal through an inhalation route. The method comprises: a) heating a composition, wherein the composition comprises at least 5 percent by weight of a migraine headache drug, to form a vapor; and, b) allowing the vapor to cool, thereby forming a condensation aerosol comprising particles, which is inhaled by the mammal. In a kit aspect of the present invention, a kit for delivering a migraine headache drug through an inhalation route to a mammal is provided which comprises: a) a composition comprising at least 5 percent by weight of a migraine headache drug; and, b) a device that forms a migraine headache drug containing aerosol from the composition, for inhalation by the mammal.
Inventor(s):	Rabinowitz; Joshua D. (Mountain View, CA), Zaffaroni; Alejandro C. (Atherton, CA)
Assignee:	Alexza Molecular Delivery Corporation (Palo Alto, CA)
Filing Date:	May 23, 2002
Application Number:	10/154,594
Claims:	1. A composition for delivery of a migraine headache drug comprising a condensation aerosol, a) formed by volatilizing rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan under conditions effective to produce a heated vapor of rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan and condensing the heated vapor of rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan to form condensation aerosol particles, and b) wherein said condensation aerosol particles are characterized by less than 5% rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan degradation products, and c) wherein the aerosol MMAD is less than 3 microns. 2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan, or naratriptan is in the free base form. 3. The composition to claim 1, wherein condensation aerosol particles comprise at least 90 percent by weight of rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan, or naratriptan. 4. The composition to claim 3, wherein condensation aerosol particles comprise at least 95 percent by weight of rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan, or naratriptan. 5. A method of producing rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan in an aerosol form comprising a) volatilizing rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan under conditions effective to produce a heated vapor of rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan and b) during said volatilizing, passing air through the heated vapor to produce aerosol particles of the rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan comprising less than 5% rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan degradation products and c) an aerosol having an MMAD less than 3 .mu.m. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the aerosol particles are formed at a rate of greater than 0.5 mg/sec. 7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said volatilizing includes heating a thin layer, which includes the rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan and which is on a solid support having the surface texture of a metal foil, to a temperature sufficient to volatilizing the rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan from the thin layer. 8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the aerosol particles comprise at least 90 percent by weight of rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the aerosol particles comprise at least 95 percent by weight of rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan. 10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the thin layer which includes the rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan on said solid support surface has a thickness between 0.7 and 5.0 microns. 11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the rizatriptan, zolmitriptan, sumatriptan, frovatriptan or naratriptan is in the free base form.