Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Carbohydrate doai
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-24
2002-08-27
Fonda, Kathleen K. (Department: 1623)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Carbohydrate doai
C514S060000, C514S252140, C514S370000, C514S383000, C514S398000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06440949
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing saccharides as active ingredients for promoting the growth of Gram-positive bacilli and increasing the acidity in the vagina, to the use of particular saccharides in the preparation of compositions for promoting the growth of Gram-positive bacilli and increasing the acidity in the vagina, and especially to a method of promoting the growth of Gram-positive bacilli and increasing the acidity in the vagina, treating decreased levels of Gram-positive bacilli and decreased levels of acidity in the vagina, treating vaginitis and disturbances of the vaginal bacterial flora accompanying the reduction of Gram-positive bacilli, especially bacterial vaginosis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
High acidity in female vagina is one important anti-infective mechanism of the vagina and is of great significance for vaginal health. Lactobacilli and other Gram-positive bacilli that can produce and resist acids serve an important role in maintaining the normal acidity in the vagina by keeping the vaginal pH value in the range from 4.0 to 4.6. They are the physiological bacterial flora of vagina, whereas Gram-negative bacilli, Gram-negative cocci, and Gram-positive cocci are relatively less abundant in the healthy vagina.
When the Gram-positive bacilli are reduced or disappear in vagina, vaginal pH value rises and disturbance of vaginal bacterial flora results from abnormal increases of Gram-negative bacilli, Gram-positive cocci and Gram-negative cocci, which can cause harm to the human body and lead to a range of diseases. The most typical condition resulting from altered vaginal flora is bacterial vaginosis (BV). BV is characterized by the reduction or even disappearance of Lactobacillus and other Gram-positive bacilli in the vagina, accompanied by decreased acidity (pH value>4.6) in the vagina, and abnormal increases of such bacteria as Gram-negative bacilli including Gardnerella, Bacteroides and motile-curved bacilli; Gram-negative cocci such as Veillonella; and Gram-positive cocci such as Streptococcus. Such changes in the bacterial flora can cause vaginal secretions to exhibit an unpleasant odor, and may be associated with pruritus of vulva, and symptoms. In addition, BV may also be related to IUGR [1], PTL, PROM [2], abortion, and obstetric infections such as chorio-amnionitis, puerperal endometritis, vaginal wall phlegmon after hysterectomy, female upper genital tract infection (salpingitis), and urinary infection, etc. [3]. A high rate of morbidity is associated with vaginal bacterial flora disturbance. According to one report, about 45% or more vaginitis cases result from disturbance of vaginal bacterial flora [3], and 4-15% of American female students in universities suffer from bacterial vaginosis [4], which has led to serious compromise to health and quality of life.
There are few options for treatment of reduced Gram-positive bacilli colonization, decreased vaginal acidity, and related disturbances of vaginal bacterial flora, vaginitis, and bacterial vaginosis. Therapeutic options currently include:
1) Antibacterial drugs which are used to suppress the growth of Gram-negative bacilli and other abnormal bacteria. These most commonly include clindamycin and metronidazole [5-6]. These drugs suppress the bacteria that are abnormally increased in the vagina but may also affect the Gram-positive bacilli. After administration of these drugs, the Gram-positive bacilli (lactobacilli) can not be restored very well, and it is very difficult to lower the pH value in the vagina to normal level.
2) Lactic acid-containing pharmaceutical compositions. Vaginal secretions from patients suffering from bacterial vaginosis have elevated pH values. Swedish researchers used lactic acid gel for the improvement and recovery of the low-acidity conditions in vagina, and reported that this treatment can restore the Gram-positive bacilli (lactobacilli) in the vaginas of some of the patients [7]. But the study also showed that the lactic acid pharmaceutical preparation is less effective than the antibacterial drugs [8].
Lactobacillus preparations. Most of the Gram-positive bacilli in vagina are lactobacillus. If there is disturbance of vaginal bacterial flora, the lactobacilli will be reduced or disappear, and Gram-negative bacilli, Gram-negative, and Gram-positive cocci, will increase. The Gram-positive bacilli in the vagina of some patients can be restored by directly adding lactobacilli in the vagina [9]. However, stable colonization is generally not achieved. Moreover, it is difficult to maintain viability of the lactobacillus preparations during storage, with viable counts in such preparations decreasing during storage, compromising their useful shelf life [10].
The international Patent Application W094/02148 discloses a pharmaceutical compositions for treating vulvitis and vulvovaginitis, and indicates that such compositions can promote restoration of vaginal epithelium tissues while alleviating the symptoms. Its preferred compositions comprises 7 to 8 active substances. Some preferred compositions may contain 3.0-15.0% (by weight/volume) lactose or glucose. As mentioned in page 5 lines 8-10 of the published specification, the lactose or glucose contained in these compositions is used as carbon source. But this application does not mention that saccharides can be used solely as the effective component for treating vulvitis and vulvovaginitis, and nor does it disclose explicitly or implicitly that the disclosed compositions can stimulate the growth of Gram-positive bacilli in vagina. Furthermore, it does not indicate that any other kinds of sugar can be used as active components of a composition for treating related vaginal diseases. Besides, as mentioned in page 5 lines 17-18 of the specification, this application emphasizes that it is important for the pH value of the compositions be between 2 and 3.5.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,707 teaches a method for treating trichomonal vaginitis and monilial vaginitis. This method comprises administering lactulose into the vagina. This patent also indicates that lactulose can be administered after being mixed with some carriers such as glucose, lactose and galactose, wherein lactulose is required to have a concentration as high as 50%, and the mixture also contains 5% lactose, 8% galactose as carriers, as mentioned in column 1 lines 51-55 and column 5 lines 1-5 of the patent specification. The quantity of lactulose is 4-10 grams administered with each dose which is taken once or twice daily, as shown in Column 4 Lines 63-66 of the specification. But this patent does not describe the treatment effectiveness on bacterial vaginosis or other vaginal diseases different from monilial vaginitis, nor does it suggest that the lactulose of low or medium concentration (2.5-17%) and small dosage (daily total amount 0.24-2.1 grams) would be able to stimulate the growth of Gram-positive bacillus and increase the acidity of the vagina. Furthermore, it fails to indicate whether any saccharide other than lactulose has treatment effects.
European Patent Application EP-A-0257007 discloses a pharmaceutical composition containing lactic acid and buffering substances and substrate to support growth of lactobacillus, which can be used to improve micro-environment in vagina and suppress the growth of harmful bacteria in the vagina, so as to facilitate the growth of lactobacilli. This patent application discloses that glycogen or lactose can be used as the said substrate. But as mentioned in Column 6 Line 10-14 of the specification, the main ingredient of this composition is lactic acid. The lactic acid and the glycogen and/or lactose are incorporated in a ratio by weight of from 20:1 down to 500:1, and the content of glycogen and/or lactose is only 0.1-0.166%(W/V). It also stresses that the pH value of the pharmaceutical composition should be adjusted to 3.5 to 4.0, which is very important. The in vitro experim
Darby & Darby
Fonda Kathleen K.
Maier Leigh C.
Shanghai Jiao Da Onlly Co., Ltd.
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