| Clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
  Clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoliUSPTO Application #: 20060293261Title: Clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli Abstract: For the purpose of treatment and/or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli resulting from smoking, air pollution, noxious gas, etc., there are provided, among others, a method of administering clarithromycin or a salt thereof to a mammal and a pharmaceutical composition comprising clarithromycin or a salt thereof. (end of abstract) Agent: C. Irvin Mcclelland Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C. - Alexandria, VA, US Inventor: Kiyoshi Takayama USPTO Applicaton #: 20060293261 - Class: 514029000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Designated Organic Active Ingredient Containing (doai), O-glycoside, , Oxygen Of The Saccharide Radical Bonded Directly To A Nonsaccharide Hetero Ring Or A Polycyclo Ring System Which Contains A Nonsaccharide Hetero Ring, The Hetero Ring Has 8 Or More Ring Carbons, The Hetero Ring Has Exactly 13 Ring Carbons (e.g., Erythromycin, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060293261. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention relates to the use of clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli. More particularly, it relates to a therapeutic or prophylactic agent comprising as an effective ingredient, clarithromycin or a salt thereof, a pharmaceutical composition comprising clarithromycin or a salt thereof, and a method of administering clarithromycin or a salt thereof to a mammal, for the purpose of such treatment or prevention, as well as to the use of clarithromycin or a salt thereof in the manufacture of a medicament. [0003] 2. Related Background Art [0004] The lung branches out from bronchi and is gradually subdivided finely to form the eventual baggy structures which are referred to as "alveoli (or alveolus)". The alveolus is composed of alveolar epithelial cells, vascular cells, and extracellular matrices (such as elastin or collagen). The alveolus is an important site where gas exchange in the body is conducted. [0005] Pulmonary emphysema is a symptom where the alveolar walls are destroyed and the microstructures of the alveoli are hollowed out. Pulmonary emphysema reduces gas exchange efficiency and the elastic recoil of the whole lung, and it eventually lowers pulmonary functions. [0006] It was known that inflammatory cells, such as alveolar macrophages or neutrophiles recruited into the lung, were strongly implicated in pulmonary emphysema which were activated by smoking, air pollution, noxious gas or the like (Barnes, P. J. et al., Nature Reviews/Drug Discovery, Vol. 1, 437-446 (2002)). It was reported that the macrophages and neutrophiles were activated by harmful substances in tobacco smoke or polluted air (although the detailed mechanism is unknown) and released substances (such as cytokines or proteases) capable of enhancing inflammation to take part in the destruction of the alveolar walls (Barnes, P. J. et al., Pharmacol Rev. 2004 Dec; 56(4):515-48). [0007] At present, bronchodilators which improve the restriction of airflow, such as anticholinergic agents and .beta.2 receptor stimulants, are widely used as therapeutic agents for pulmonary emphysema. However, they have not been able to alleviate the destruction of pulmonary alveoli and to retard the progression of the pulmonary emphysema itself. The use of anti-inflammatory agents represented by steroids is recommended in the acute exacerbation stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), i.e., cases involving infection and deterioration of pulmonary functions. It has, however, been reported that they are ineffective against the pulmonary emphysema itself. As pertinent art, azithromycins having a 15-membered ring were reported to display effectiveness against non-infectious inflammatory diseases (Japanese Published Application 2004-531539; JPA2004531539 or WO2002/087596). However, it was also pointed out that 14-membered macrolides differ from 15-membered macrolides with respect to pharmacological actions including anti-inflammatory action (ibid.). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION (Problems to Be Solved) [0008] It is an object of this invention to provide a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for a pulmonary disorder caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli. (Means for Solving the Problems) [0009] As a result of intensive and diligent research, the present inventors have accomplished this invention upon finding that clarithromycin reduces inflammatory reaction to improve a pulmonary emphysema condition in model mice with tobacco-smoke induced pulmonary emphysema mimicking human pulmonary emphysema and that clarithromycin is useful as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for a pulmonary disease (particularly, pulmonary emphysema). [0010] Specifically, this invention provides a method for treating or preventing a pulmonary disorder caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli in a mammal (principally, in human) in need of such treatment or prevention, the method comprising administering to the mammal, an effective amount of clarithromycin or a salt thereof. [0011] This invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment or prevention of a pulmonary disorder caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli comprising an effective amount of clarithromycin or a salt thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. [0012] Further, this invention provides a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for a pulmonary disorder caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli comprising as an effective ingredient, clarithromycin or a salt thereof. [0013] In addition, this invention provides the use of clarithromycin or a salt thereof in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment or prevention of a pulmonary disorder caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli. [0014] In the method of treatment/prevention and the therapeutic/prophylactic pharmaceutical composition mentioned above, the efficacy of clarithromycin or a salt thereof is excellent where the pulmonary disorder is pulmonary emphysema or a pulmonary emphysema condition. [0015] In the method of treatment/prevention and the therapeutic/prophylactic pharmaceutical composition mentioned above, the efficacy of clarithromycin or a salt thereof is especially excellent where the pulmonary emphysema condition is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. [0016] This invention also provides an in vivo method for reducing the cell counts of macrophages and/or neutrophiles in an mammal, the method comprising administering to the mammal, clarithromycin or a salt thereof in an amount sufficient to reduce the cell counts. (Effects of the Invention) [0017] According to this invention, it has been demonstrated that clarithromycin or a salt thereof is effective as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for a pulmonary disorder caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0018] FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show the cell counts of inflammatory cells (macrophages and neutrophiles) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from model mice with tobacco smoke-induced pulmonary emphysema after six months' exposure. FIG. 1A shows the cell count of macrophages. FIG. 1B shows the cell count of neutrophiles. Continue reading... Full patent description for Clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Useful high load concentrate compositions for control of ecto-and endo-parasites Next Patent Application: Antisense antiviral compounds and methods for treating foot and mouth disease Industry Class: Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Clarithromycin or a salt thereof for the treatment or prevention of pulmonary disorders caused by the destruction of pulmonary alveoli patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.26184 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , |
||
