Surgery – Instruments – Electrical application
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2002-07-09
Lateef, Marvin M. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Instruments
Electrical application
C607S120000, C607S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06416510
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS
The inventions described below relate to site specific delivery of therapeutic agents, structures and catheter systems to achieve site specific delivery of therapeutic agents, and means for implanting and using these systems to enable delivery of therapeutic agents to the body.
These systems also have importance for new procedures that have been called percutaneous transmyocardial revascularization or PTMR.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is possible to identify particular sites within the myocardium which may benefit from local drug release therapy. Examples of problematic tissue which may benefit from local drug release therapy are ischemic sites and arrhythmogenic sites. Different means and methods for delivering agents to these sites will be disclosed in detail. These specific discussions should in no way limit the scope of the devices disclosed for treating other tissues with other agents.
Ischemic Sites
Ischemic tissue is characterized by limited metabolic processes which causes poor functionality. The metabolism is limited because the tissue lacks oxygen, nutrients, and means for disposing of wastes. In turn this hinders the normal functioning of the heart cells or myocytes in an ischemic region. If an ischemic, or damaged, region of the heart does not receive enough nutrients to sustain the myocytes they are said to die, and the tissue is said to become infarcted. Ischemia is reversible, such that cells may return to normal function once they receive the proper nutrients. Infarction is irreversible.
A number of methods have been developed to treat ischemic regions in the heart. Noninvasive systemic delivery of anti-ischemic agents such as nitrates or vasodilators allows the heart to work less by reducing vascular resistance. Some vascular obstructions are treated by the systemic delivery of pharmacological agents such as TPA, urokinase, or antithrombolytics which can break up the obstruction. Catheter based techniques to remove the vascular obstructions such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), atherectomy devices, and stents can increase myocardial perfusion. More drastic, but very reliable procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery can also be performed. All of these techniques treat the root cause of poor perfusion.
It should be noted that these therapies are primarily for the treatment of large vessel disease, and that many patients suffer from poor perfusion within many of the smaller vessels. These smaller vessels cannot be treated with conventional therapies.
The delivery of angiogenic growth factors to the heart via the coronary arteries by catheter techniques, or by implantable controlled release matrices, can create new capillary vascular growth within the myocardium. Recent work has shown substantial increases in muscular flow in a variety of in vivo experimental models with growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF). The methods of delivering these agents to the heart have included implantable controlled release matrices such as ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVAC), and sequential bolus delivery into the coronary arteries. Recently similar techniques have been attempted in peripheral vessels in human patients with the primary difficulty being systemic effects of the agents delivered. “Angiogenic agents” and “endothelial agents” are active agents that promote angiogenesis and/or endothelial cell growth, or if applicable, vasculogenesis. This would include factors such as those discussed that accelerate wound healing such as growth hormone, insulin like growth factor-I (IGF-I), VEGF, VIGF, PDGF, epidermal growth factor (EGF), CTGF and members of its family, FGF, TGF-a and TGF B. The most widely recognized angiogenic agents include the following: VEGF-165, VEGF-121, VEGF-145, FGF-2, FGF-I, Transforming Growth Factor (TGF-B), Tumor Necrosis Factor a (TMF a), Tumor Necrosis Factor B (TMF B), Angiogenin, Interleukin-8, Proliferin, Prostaglandins (PGE), Placental Growth factor, Granulocyte Growth Factor, Platelet Derived Endothilail Cell Growth Factor, Hepatocyte Growth Factor, DEL-1, Angiostatin-1 and Pleiotrophin.
“Angiostatic agents” are active agents that inhibit angiogenesis or vasculogenesis or otherwise inhibit or prevent growth of cancer cells. Examples include antibodies or other antagonists to angiogenic agents as defined above, such as antibodies to VEGF or Angiotensin 2. They additionally include cytotherapeutic agents such as cytotoxic agents, chemotherapeutic agents, growth inhibitory agents, apoptotic agents, and other agents to treat cancer, such as anti-HER-2, anti CD20, and other bioactive and organic chemical agents.
Polypeptide agents may be introduced by expression in vivo, which is often referred to as gene therapy. There are two major approaches for getting the nucleic acid (optionally containing a vector) into the patients cells: in vivo and ex vivo. For in vivo delivery, the nucleic acid is injected directly into the patient, usually at the site where desired. For ex-vivo delivery, the patients cells are removed, the nucleic acid is introduced into these isolated cells, and the modified cells are administered to the patient either directly or via encapsulation within porous membranes that are implanted into the patient (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,892,538 and 5,283,187).
The preferred embodiment of this invention is the delivery of therapeutic molecules from micro drug delivery systems such as liposomes, nanoparticles, biodegradable controlled release polymer matrices, and biodegradable microspheres which are well known in the literature. These have been described briefly in U.S. application Ser. No. 08/816,850.
The agents to be delivered may include one or more small molecules, macromolecules, liposomal encapsulations of molecules, microdrug delivery system encapsulation of therapeutic molecules, covalent linking of carbohydrates and other molecules to a therapeutic molecules, and gene therapy preparations. These will be briefly defined.
“Small molecules” may be any smaller therapeutic molecule, known or unknown. Examples of known small molecules relative to cardiac delivery include the antiarrhythmic agents that affect cardiac excitation. Drugs that predominantly affect slow pathway conduction include digitalis, calcium channel blockers, and beta blockers. Drugs that predominantly prolong refractoriness, or time before a heart cell can be activated, produce conduction block in either the fast pathway or in accessory AV connections including the class IA antiarrhythmic agents (quinidine, procainimide, and disopyrimide) or class IC drugs (flecainide and propefenone). The class III antiarrhythmic agents (sotolol or amiodorone) prolong refractoriness and delay or block conduction over fast or slow pathways as well as in accessory AV connections. Temporary blockade of slow pathway conduction usually can be achieved by intravenous administration of adenosine or verapamil. [Scheinman, Melvin: Supraventricular Tachycardia: Drug Therapy Versus Catheter Ablation, Clinical Cardiology Vol 17, Suppl. II-11-II-15 (1994)]. Many other small molecule agents are possible, such as poisonous or toxic agents designed to damage tissue that have substantial benefits when used locally such as on a tumor. One example of such a small molecule to treat tumors is doxarubicin.
A “macromolecule” is any large molecule and includes proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. Examples of such macromolecules include the growth factors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, basic Fibroblastic Growth Factor, and acidic Fibroblastic Growth Factor, although others are possible. Examples of macromolecular agents of interest for local delivery to tumors include angiostatin, endostatin, and other antiangiogenic agents.
A “Liposome” refers to an approximately spherically shaped bilayer structure comprised of a natural or synthetic phospholipid membrane or membranes, and sometimes other membrane components such as cholest
Altman John D.
Altman Peter A.
Stertzer Simon
Biocardia, Inc.
Crockett & Crockett
Crockett, Esq. K. David
Mantis Mercader Eleni
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