WO 2010/017586 Al
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(12) INTERNATIONALAPPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (10) International Publication Number (43) International Publication Date 18 February 2010 (18.02.2010) WO 2010/017586 Al (51) International Patent Classification: (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every A61M 15/00 (2006.01) A61M 11/00 (2006.01) kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BR, BW, BY, BZ, (21) Number: International Application CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DK, DM, DO, PCT/AU2009/001029 DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, (22) International Filing Date: HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS, JP, KE, KG, KM, KN, KP, 11 August 2009 ( 11.08.2009) KR, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, (25) Filing Language: English NO, NZ, OM, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, RU, SC, SD, (26) Publication Language: English SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (30) Priority Data: 2008904085 11 August 2008 ( 11.08.2008) AU (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, (71) Applicant (for all designated States except US): SIL- GM, KE, LS, MW, MZ, NA, SD, SL, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, PHION PTY LIMITED [AU/AU]; Suite 102, 93-95 Pa ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, cific Highway, North Sydney, New South Wales 2060 TM), European (AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, (AU). ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, SM, (72) Inventor; and TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, (75) Inventor/Applicant (for US only): KELLY, Alexander ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). James [AU/AU]; 14 Potter Street, Russell Lea, New South Wales 2046 (AU). Published: (74) Agent: CULLENS; Level 32, 239 George Street, Bris — with international search report (Art. 21(3)) bane, Queensland 4000 (AU). (54) Title: INHALER WITH PIERCABLE VIAL AND DRUG IN LIQUID FORM Figure 7 (57) Abstract: The invention provides a device for facilitating inhalation of an inhalable drug in liquid form comprising a barrel for holding a vial of the drug, a piercing means substantially in the barrel, and a mouthpiece attached to an end of the barrel, and a method of providing an inhalable drug in liquid form using the device of the invention. INHALER WITH PIERCABLE VIAL AND DRUG IN LIQUID FORM TECHNICAL FIELD The invention described herein relates generally to a device and method for the administration of volatile drugs in liquid form. In particular, the invention is directed to a device and method for inhalation administration of volatile drugs in liquid form, although the scope of the invention is not necessarily limited thereto. BACKGROUND ART In many medical circumstances, there is a need for rapid onset of analgesia. This is generally achieved by intravenous administration of opioid-based analgesics. There are many disadvantages associated both with the drugs used and with the method of administration. Opioid analgesics are known to have the potential to cause dependency, and are therefore not always the drug of choice for these medical circumstances. Intravenous administration is a difficult mode of administration under many conditions, including for example emergency roadside incidents, non-compliant patients, or non-sterile environments. The use of inhalation anesthetics has been contemplated for use in analgesia. There are devices which administer for example sevoflurane and methoxyflurane for inhalation, but these suffer from several disadvantages. The device disclosed in PCT/US02/33190 administers the drug using compressed air/oxygen is cumbersome, expensive and not easily portable. A further device which is a hand-held device, currently available in at least Australia, suffers from the severe drawback that the drug has to be poured into the barrel of the device for administration. This pouring action easily results in spillage on the skin of the medical carer or patient, and release of the drug into the air space around these people, which is dangerous and inefficient as the actual dosage is then unknown. Therefore, there would be an advantage if it were possible to provide a device for administration of inhalable drugs which may overcome at least some of the above- mentioned disadvantages or provide a useful or commercial choice. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first embodiment, the invention provides a device for facilitating inhalation of an inhalable drug in liquid form, the device comprising a barrel for holding a vial of the inhalable drug in liquid form, a piercing means substantially in the barrel, and a mouthpiece attached to an end of the barrel. In a second embodiment, the invention provides a method of providing an inhalable drug in liquid form comprising inserting a vial of the drug into the barrel of the device of the first embodiment, piercing the seal of the vial with the piercing means, applying the mouthpiece to a subject wherein the subject inhales through the mouthpiece the drug released upon piercing of the seal. With regard to the first and second embodiments as defined above, the drug can be any inhalable drug in liquid form that is sufficiently volatile to be available for inhalation upon release from the vial. The device is particularly suited to drugs such as analgesics, including but not limited to inhalable fiuorocarbon-based analgesics such as sevoflurane, methoxyflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, enfiurane, diethyl ether, methoxypropane, chloroform, and halothane. The barrel of the device can be any configuration which will accommodate a vial of inhalable drug in liquid form. Preferably the barrel is a substantially straight tube, or a tube including a substantially right angled bend towards the mouthpiece. The vial can be a standard commercially available vial, or a vial made specifically for the device of the invention. Preferably the vial is a standard 1-5OmL vial. The device of the invention can be a disposable, single-use device, or can be configured for repeated use. To this end, the barrel can be configured such that the vial is sealed inside the barrel upon manufacture of the device, or the barrel can be configured to reversibly open at one end to receive a vial when needed. The latter option can include any practicable reversible opening means, including a screw-type device, clip device or snap-lock device. The piercing means can be any means capable of piercing the seal of a drug vial. Preferably the piercing means is a plastic needle-type device, attached near to the vial end inside the barrel. The piercing means preferably is an integral part of the barrel moulding itself. When the vial is moved towards the piercing means, this can be effected in any practicable manner. Preferably the barrel has a rotatable actuator mechanism in contact with the base of the vial which, when twisted, forces the vial along the barrel until the piercing means pierces the seal of the vial. Alternatively, the piercing means can be moved towards the seal of the vial. In this embodiment, the barrel can have any practicable mechanism for activation to move the needle towards the piercing means, such as a depressable actuator or more than one depressable actuators on the exterior of the device which, when depressed, moves the needle towards the seal of the vial and forces the needle to pierce that seal. The device of the invention can also include a wick of any practicable material inside the barrel. Upon piercing of the seal of the vial, the contents of the vial run or disperse onto the wick, increasing the available surface area for active evaporation. This assists vaporization and retention of the drug for inhalation. The mouthpiece is attached to an end of the barrel by any means, and can be fixed or movable. If the mouthpiece is movable, which is generally when the barrel is a straight tube, preferably that mouthpiece is movable through approximately 180°, allowing the subject to access the mouthpiece and thereby the drug from any body position or recline. The mouthpiece can also be fitted into a standard medical mask to assist with administration of the drug to an incapacitated patient. The device can also include a filter in communication with the mouthpiece. The filter can be located in any practicable position on the device but is preferably located in an exhalation port on the barrel of the device. The filter can be made any material capable of absorbing vapours of the inhalable drug in liquid form. The filter is preferably made of activated carbon matrix or another equivalent solvent-retaining medium. The device of the invention can be made of any practicable material but is preferably made from solvent-resistant plastic. The device can be any colour, including different colours to indicate the nature of the inhalable drug in liquid form in the vial in the barrel of the device. The device can also be colourless or coloured translucent plastic so that the level of drug in the vial in the barrel of the device is visible. The material of manufacture can also have an additive to render the device able to glow in the dark. This would assist patients and care providers in emergency situations where lighting is not available. The device of the invention can also include a strap reversibly or irreversibly attached to any practicable position on the barrel.