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US 20120129819A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2012/0129819 A1 Vancaillie et al. (43) Pub. Date: May 24, 2012 (54) GEL COMPOSITIONS FOR Publication Classi?cation ADMINISTRATION OF (51) Int Cl PHARMACEUTICALLY ACTIVE A 61K 31/565 (200601) COMPOUNDS A61P 31/00 (2006.01) A61P 29/00 2006.01 (75) Inventors: Thierry Vancaillie, Castlecrag A 611, 5/24 g2oo6~olg (AU), Alan Hewitt, Wrexham (GB) A611) 13/00 (200601) A61P 23/00 2006.01 (73) Assignee: Medortus (UK) Ltd, Wrexham A611; 25/04 E200601; (GB) A61P 1 7/00 (2006.01) A61P 15/00 (2006.01) (21) Appl' No" 13/264311 (52) us. Cl. ........................ .. 514/170; 514/182; 514/171 (22) PCT Filed: Apr. 14, 2010 (57) ABSTRACT (86) PCT No... PCT/AU10/00408 The P resent invention P rovides a P harmaceutical com P osition in the form of a Water-based gel comprising: at least one § 371 (6X1), pharmaceutically active compound; at least one gelling agent; (2)’ (4) Date; Feb 9, 2012 a solubilising agent; and Water, Wherein said composition is free or substantially free of unsubstituted monohydric alco (30) Foreign Application Priority Data hols having between 1 and 6 carbon atoms. The invention also relates to methods for preparing the compositions and uses Apr. 14, 2009 (AU) .............................. .. 2009901585 thereof. US 2012/0129819 A1 May 24, 2012 GEL COMPOSITIONS FOR ders (such as skin disorders), a compound useful in the con ADMINISTRATION OF trol of infection, a compound useful in the treatment of PHARMACEUTICALLY ACTIVE in?ammatory conditions, a compound useful in the treatment COMPOUNDS of sexual dysfunction, a compound useful in the treatment of urological disorders, a compound useful in anaesthesia, an TECHNICAL FIELD analgesic compound, a compound Which is an ot-adrenergic [0001] The present invention relates to Water-based gel receptor agonist, a hormone or a prohormone. compositions comprising at least one pharmaceutically active [0015] The hormone may be a sex hormone, a thyroid hor compound, and also to methods of administering the compo mone or a groWth hormone. sitions. [0016] The sex hormone may be an estrogen (for example estriol), an androgen (for example testosterone) or a proge BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION stagen. [0017] The hormone may be a hormone used in hormone [0002] A major dif?culty encountered With pharmaceutical replacement therapy. compounds, particularly those of higher molecular Weight, is [0018] In one embodiment, the hormone is a natural or that they are insoluble in aqueous solution. Because the bio synthetic estrogen, for example estriol, estrone or estradiol. availability and hence e?icacy of many pharmaceutical com [0019] The composition may comprise at least tWo phar pounds is largely dependent on their presence in a soluble maceutically active compounds selected from the group con form, the formulation of Water-insoluble compounds in aque sisting of: a natural or synthetic estrogen, an analgesic com ous delivery vehicles is problematic. pound, a compound useful in anaesthesia and an ot-adrenergic [0003] In the context of topical delivery vehicles this prob receptor agonist. lem has been addressed by the incorporation of an organic [0020] The composition may comprise at least tWo phar solvent into the vehicle Which improves the solubility of the maceutically active compounds, Wherein one of the pharma Water-insoluble compound(s), and hence increases bioavail ceutically active compounds is a natural or synthetic estro ability. Where the Water-insoluble compounds are steroid gen, and the other pharmaceutically active compound(s) hormones loWer alcohols (i.e. alcohols having betWeen 1 and is/are selected from the group consisting of: an analgesic 6 carbon atoms) are typically used to enhance solubility. compound, a compound useful in anaesthesia and an ot-adr HoWever, loWer alcohols such as ethanol have the undesired energic receptor agonist. effect of drying skin as a result of solubilisation of the hydro [0021] The analgesic compound may be tramadol, the com phobic components thereof. In addition, stinging also occurs pound useful in anaesthesia may be aicaine anaesthetic and When loWer alcohols come into contact With sensitive mem the ot-adrenergic receptor agonist may be clonidine. branes such as the vagina. A further problem associated With [0022] The hormone or prohor'mone may be selected from the use of ethanol is that it cannot be included in halal medi the group consisting of: thyroxine, diiodothyrosine, melato cations. nin, epinephrine, natural and synthetic estrogens, dehydroe [0004] There is therefore a need for compositions Wherein piandrosterone, ketodehydroepiandrosterone, testosterone, Water-insoluble compounds can be effectively solubilised in progesterone and human groWth hormone. the absence of loWer alcohols. [0023] The at least one pharmaceutically active compound may be a steroidal compound. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0024] The at least one gelling agent may be selected from [0005] In a ?rst aspect, the present invention provides a the group consisting of: algae extracts, gums, polysaccha pharmaceutical composition in the form of a Water-based gel rides, starches, pectins, hydrolysed proteins, cellulose deriva comprising: tives and polymers comprising pendant carboxylic acid [0006] (i) at least one pharmaceutically active compound; groups, or esters thereof, or comprising pendant anhydrides [0007] (ii) at least one gelling agent; of dicarboxylic acid groups and block co-polymers based on [0008] (iii) a solubilising agent; and ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide. The gelling agent [0009] (iv) Water, may be natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic. Wherein said composition is free or substantially free of [0025] In one embodiment, the gelling agent may be unsubstituted monohydric alcohols having betWeen 1 and 6 selected from the group consisting of: polymers comprising carbon atoms. pendant carboxylic acid groups, or esters thereof, or compris [0010] The at least one pharmaceutically active compound ing pendant anhydrides of dicarboxylic acid groups and block may be present in the composition in an amount betWeen co-polymers based on ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide. about 0.0005% (W/W) and about 25% (W/W), or betWeen [0026] The gelling agent may be a carbomer. about 0.001% (W/W) and about 5% (W/W). [0027] The carbomer may be a polymer of acrylic acid [0011] The at least one pharmaceutically active compound cross-linked With polyalkenyl ethers or divinyl glycol. may be a compound Which is insoluble in Water or sparingly [0028] The carbomer may be a copolymer of acrylic acid soluble in Water. and long chain alkyl acrylates crosslinked With polyalkenyl [0012] The composition may further comprise at least one ethers. pharmaceutically active compound Which is soluble in Water. [0029] The gelling agent may be present in the composition [0013] The at least one pharmaceutically active compound in an amount betWeen about 0.01% (W/W) and about 50% may be any compound Which provides a therapeutic bene?t or (W/W), or betWeen about 0.05% (W/W) and about 10% (W/W). a cosmetic bene?t to a subject. [0030] The solubilising agent may be selected from the [0014] The at least one pharmaceutically active compound group consisting of pyrrolidone or a derivative thereof, castor may be a compound active in the gynaecological ?eld, a oil, polyethoxylated castor oil, diethylene glycol monoethyl compound useful in the treatment of epithelial tissue disor ether, propylene glycol caprylate, propylene glycol mono US 2012/0129819 A1 May 24, 2012 caprylate, medium chain glycerides, 2-methacryloxyeth ily solely”. Furthermore, variations of the Word “compris ylphosphonylcholine, cyclodextrins and derivatives thereof, ing”, such as “comprise” and “comprises”, have correspond lecithin, polysorbates, PEG-phospholipids, phospholipids, ingly varied meanings. cholesterol-PEG and saturated polyglycolised CS-Cl0 glyc [0053] In the context of the present speci?cation, the term erides. “unsubstituted monohydric alcohols having between 1 and 6 [0031] The solubilising agent may be a non-alcoholic solu bilising agent. carbon atoms” is understood to mean compounds having a single hydroxy group and a total of between 1 and 6 carbon [0032] The solubilising agent may be an N-alkyl-pyrroli done such as N-methylpyrrolidone. atoms, Wherein the carbon atoms are not substituted With any [0033] The composition may comprise betWeen about 30% other functional groups. The term excludes monohydric alco (W/W) and about 90% (W/W) of Water. hol compounds having carbon chains interrupted by heteroa [0034] The composition may comprise betWeen about 50% toms, for example oxygen and nitrogen. In one embodiment (W/W) and about 90% (W/W) of Water. of the invention the unsubstituted monohydric alcohol having [0035] The composition may be adapted for topical or between 1 and 6 carbon atoms is ethanol. parenteral administration. In one embodiment, the composi [0054] In the context of the present speci?cation, the term “ tion is a topical composition. or a derivative thereof ’ in relation to pyrrolidone includes [0036] The composition may further comprise one or more pyrrolidone compounds having a Cl-Cl0 alkyl or a Cl-C6 emollients, moisturisers or humectants. alkyl group attached to the nitrogen and/or one or more [0037] The composition may be adapted for gynaecologi Cl-Cl0 alkyl groups or one or more Cl-C6 alkyl groups cal application, for example for application to the vaginal attached to one or more of the carbon atoms of the pyrrolidone epithelial