Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Nitrogen containing other than solely as a nitrogen in an...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-11
2003-01-28
Spivack, Phyllis G. (Department: 1614)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Nitrogen containing other than solely as a nitrogen in an...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512011
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a new medical use for bupropion and physiologically acceptable salts and solvates thereof. Specifically the invention concerns the use of bupropion in treating viral infections, more particularly infections caused by viruses of the Herpes family.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bupropion hydrochloride, (±)-1-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-[(1,1-di-methylethyl)-amino]-1-propanone hydrochloride has been used for the treatment of depression. Bupropion is a relatively weak inhibitor of the neuronal uptake of noradrenaline (NA), serotonin and dopamine (DA), and does not inhibit monoamine oxidase. While the mechanism of action of bupropion, as with other antidepressants, is unknown, it is presumed that this action is mediated by noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic mechanisms. Available evidence suggests that bupropion is a selective inhibitor of noradrenaline (NA) at doses that are predictive of antidepressant activity in animal models. See Ascher, J. A., et al., Bupropion: A Review of its Mechanism of Antidepressant Activity.
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,
56: p. 395-401,1995.
It has also been disclosed that bupropion is useful for the treatment of migraine (U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,712), reducing cholesterol (U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,138), treatment of minimal brain dysfunction (U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,449), treatment of tardive dyskinesia (U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,363), reversing impaired mental alertness due to ethanol consumption (U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,078), treatment of psychosexual dysfunction (U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,323), suppressing prolactin secretion (U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,257) and as an aid to smoking cessation.
The Herpes family of viruses is responsible for a wide range of infectious diseases in several species, including chicken pox, shingles, retinitis, pneumonitis and keratitis in humans and diseases of the skin and mucosa, including keratitis in rabbits, herpetic encephalitis in mice, Herpes viruses include
Herpes zoster
, HSV1 and HSV2 (Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 and type 2), hCMV and mCMV (human and murine cytomegalovirus), VZV (varicella zoster virus), EBV (Epstein barr virus) HHV6 and HHV8 (human herpes viruses, types 6 and 8).
There is a need in the art to develop novel therapies for the treatment and prevention of viral infections such as infections caused by the Herpes virus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present inventor has surprisingly demonstrated that bupropion is useful for the prevention and treatment of viral infections. In particular, the inventor has shown that bupropion is useful for the treatment and prevention of certain symptoms of viral infections caused by a herpes virus. More specifically, the inventor has shown bupropion is useful for the treatment of symptoms caused by a Herpes Simplex Virus. Bupropion is thus of potential benefit in the treatment of infections of viruses of the Herpes family or conditions caused thereby, particularly Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) 1, HSV2
, Herpes zoster
and
Varicella zoster.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a use of bupropion for the manufacture of a medicament for the prevention or treatment of a viral infection. The present invention also provides a use of bupropion to prevent or treat a viral infection. The present invention further provides a method of treating and preventing a viral infection comprising administering an effective amount of bupropion to an animal in need thereof.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As hereinbefore mentioned, the present inventor has demonstrated that bupropion is useful in the prevention or treatment of viral infections. The present inventor has shown that bupropion is superior to many other anti-viral agents such as acyclovir and famciclovir in the treatment and prevention of infections caused by the herpes virus.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a use of bupropion or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate or enantiomer thereof for the manufacture of a medicament for the prevention or treatment of a viral infection. The present invention also provides a use of bupropion or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate or enantiomer thereof to prevent or treat a viral infection. The present invention further provides a method of treating and preventing a viral infection comprising administering an effective amount of bupropion or a physiologically acceptable salt, solvate or enantiomer thereof to an animal in need thereof.
The term “effective amount” as used herein is an amount effective, at dosages and for periods of time necessary to treat or prevent a viral infection.
The term “animal” as used herein includes all members of the animal kingdom including humans.
The term “bupropion” as used herein includes all physiologically acceptable salts and solvates thereof and all enantiomers thereof.
The bupropion for use in the invention is suitably in the form of a physiologically acceptable salt. This salt may include an acid addition salt formed with organic or inorganic acids for example hydrochloride, hydrobromide, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, formate, mesylate, citrate, benzoate, fumarate, maleate and succinate. Preferably, the bupropion is in the form of its hydrochloride salt. The chemical structure of bupropion hydrochloride is shown below.
Bupropion for use according to the invention may be administered as the raw chemical comprising the active compound. Preferably, the bupropion is formulated into a pharmaceutically acceptable composition or medicament. Conveniently, bupropion for use according to the invention may be formulated in conventional manner using one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients. Thus, bupropion for use according to the invention may for example be formulated for oral, sub-lingual, buccal, parenteral, rectal or intranasal administration or in a form suitable for administration by inhalation or insufflation (either through the mouth or nose).
For oral administration the pharmaceutical compositions may take the form of, for example, tablets or capsules prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable excipients such as binding agents (e.g. pregelatinised maize starch, polyvinylpyrrolidone or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose); fillers (e.g. lactose, microcrystalline cellulose or calcium phosphate); lubricants (e.g. magnesium stearate, talc or silica); disintegrants (e.g. potato starch or sodium starch glycollate); or wetting agents (e.g. sodium lauryl sulphate). The tablets may be coated by methods well known in the art.
Liquid preparations for oral administration may take the form of, for example, solutions, syrups or suspensions, or they may be presented as a dry product for constitution with water or other suitable vehicle before use. Such liquid preparations may be prepared by conventional means with pharmaceutically acceptable additives such as suspending agents (sorbitol syrup, methyl cellulose or hydrogenated edible fats); emulsifying agents (e.g. lecithin or acacia); non-aqueous vehicles (e.g. almond oil, oily esters or ethyl alcohol); and preservatives (e.g. methyl or propyl P-hydroxybenzoates or sorbic acid).
For buccal administration, the compositions may take the form of tablets or lozenges formulated in conventional manner.
Bupropion for use according to the invention may be formulated for parenteral administration by injection, conveniently intravenous, in intramuscular or subcutaneous injection. Formulations for injection may be presented in unit dosage form e.g. in ampoules or in multi-dose containers, optionally with an added preservative.
The compositions for parenteral administration may take suc
CC Capital Partners Inc.
Kenyon & Kenyon
Spivack Phyllis G.
LandOfFree
Bupropion to treat herpes viral diseases does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Bupropion to treat herpes viral diseases, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Bupropion to treat herpes viral diseases will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3007370