US 2006O127486A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0127486A1 Moerck et al. (43) Pub. Date: Jun. 15, 2006 (54) CERAMIC STRUCTURES FOR Related U.S. Application Data PREVENTION OF DRUG DIVERSION (60) Provisional application No. 60/587,662, filed on Jul. (76) Inventors: Rudi E. Moerck, San Antonio, TX 13, 2004. (US); Bruce J. Sabacky, Reno, NV (US); Timothy M. Spitler, Fernley, NV Publication Classification (US); Jan Prochazka, Reno, NV (US); Douglas Ellsworth, Reno, NV (US) (51) Int. Cl. A6II 3L/485 (2006.01) A6IR 9/14 (2006.01) Correspondence Address: (52) U.S. Cl. ........................... 424/489: 514/282; 977/906 SHEPPARD, MULLIN, RICHTER & HAMPTON LLP (57) ABSTRACT 333 SOUTH HOPE STREET 48TH FLOOR The present invention is directed to compositions that pro LOS ANGELES, CA 90071-1448 (US) vide drug delivery while resisting methods of diversion. The compositions are combinations of the drug and a ceramic structure. Any Suitable drug may be used, but the drug is (21) Appl. No.: 11/181,667 typically an opioid agonist. The ceramic structures arc usually metal oxides, and are oftentimes roughly spherical in (22) Filed: Jul. 13, 2005 shape with a hollow center. US 2006/0127486 A1 Jun. 15, 2006 CERAMC STRUCTURES FOR PREVENTION OF nm: 401 nm to 500 nm, 501 nm to 600 nm, 601 nm to 700 DRUG DIVERSION nm: 701 nm to 800 nm: 801 nm to 900 nm:901 mm to 1 um: 1 um to 10 um; 11 um to 25 um; and, 26 um to 100 um. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED Variation in particle size is typically less than 10.0% of the APPLICATIONS mean diameter, preferably less than 7.5% of the mean 0001. This application claims priority to U.S. provisional diameter, and more preferably less than 5.0% of the mean patent application No. 60/587,662, the entire disclosure of diameter. which is incorporated by reference. 0009. The ceramic structure typically includes titanium oxide or Zirconium oxide. The included drug is typically an FIELD OF INVENTION opioid agonist selected from oxycodone, codeine, hydroc 0002 The present invention generally relates to the pre odone, hydromorphone, levorphanol, meperidine, meth vention of drug diversion. More specifically, it relates to andone, and morphine. Ceramic structure/drug combina drug? ceramic structure combinations that provide drug tions of the present invention exhibit measurable mechanical delivery while resisting methods of diversion. strength. At least 50 percent of the particles maintain their overall integrity (e.g., shape, size, porosity, etc.) when a BACKGROUND OF INVENTION force of 5 kg/cm, 7.5 kg/cm, 10.0 kg/cm, 12.5 kg/cm, 15.0 kg/cm, 17.5 kg/cm or 20 kg/cm is applied to them. 0003 Drug diversion is the use of a prescribed medica tion by a person for whom the medication was not pre scribed. Such use accounts for almost 30% of drug abuse in DETAILED DESCRIPTION the United States and represents a close challenge to cocaine 0010. The present invention is directed to drug? ceramic addiction. The majority of abusers are persons with no structure combinations that provide drug delivery while history of prior drug abuse who became addicted after using resisting methods of diversion. prescription drugs for legitimate medical reasons. 0011. One can incorporate any suitable drug into the 0004. It is well-known that abusers of prescribed medi combination of the present invention, although opioid ago cation target two parameters when diverting drugs—dose nists are preferred. Such agonists include, without limita amount and dose form for rapid administration. A diverter tion, the following: alfentanil, allylprodine, alphaprodine, will oftentimes obtain a drug, crush it, and then deliver it anileridine, benzylmorphine, bezitramide, buprenolphine, intranasally. Another mode of administration involves dis butorphanol, clonitaZene, codeine, desomorphine, dextro Solving the drug in water or alcohol and then delivering it moramide, dezocine, diampromide, diamorphone, dihydro intravenously. Either delivery mode provides for rapid drug codeine, dihydromorphine, dimenoxadol, dimepheptanol, introduction into the bloodstream. dimethylthiambutene, dioxaphetyl butyrate, dipipanone, 0005. Several methods have been developed to inhibit eptazocine, ethoheptazine, ethylmethylthiamhutene, ethyl drug diversion. One such method involved the incorporation morphine, etonitaZene, etorphine, dihydroetorphine, fenta of the target drug into a polymer matrix. The idea was to nyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, hydroxypethidine, adsorb drug within the polymer matrix, which would only isomethadone, ketobemidone, levorphanol, levophena.cyl allow its slow release upon introduction to a solvent. In other morphan, lofentanil, meperidine, meptazinol, metazocine, words, one could not directly access the incorporated drug, methadone, metopon, morphine, myrophine, narceline, nico even through an extraction process. This strategy ultimately morphine, norlevorphanol, normethadone, nalorphine, nal failed, however, when diverters discovered that they could buphene, normorphine, norpipanone, opium, oxycodone, simply crush the polymer matrix, which provided ready oxymorphone, papaveretum, pentazocine, phenadoxone, access to the adsorbed drug. phenomorphan, phenazocine, phenoperidine, piminodine, piritramide, propheptazine, promedol, properidine, pro 0006 There is accordingly a need for a novel method for poxyphene, Sufentanil, tilidine, tramadol, pharmaceutically inhibiting or preventing drug diversion. That is an object of acceptable salts thereof, stereoisomers thereof, ethers the present invention. thereof, esters thereof, and mixtures thereof. SUMMARY OF INVENTION 0012 Examples of other drugs that may be incorporated into ceramic structures include, without limitation, the, 0007. The present invention is directed to drug? ceramic following: acetorphine, alphacetylmethadol, alphameprod structure combinations that provide drug delivery while ine, alphamethadol, alphaprodine, aenzethidine, betacetyl resisting methods of diversion. The ceramic structure typi methadol, betameprodine, betamethadol, betaprodine, bufo cally includes a metal oxide, wherein the oxide is of tita tenine, carfentanil, diamorphine, diethylthiambutene, nium, Zirconium, Scandium, cerium, or yttrium. Any Suitable difenoxin, dihydrocodeinone, drotebanol, eticyclidine, etox drug may be used in the combinations, but opioid agonists eridine, etryptanrine, furethidine, hydromoiphinol, are preferred, especially oxycodone. levomethorphan, levomoramide, methadyl acetate, meth 0008. In a composition aspect of the present invention, a yldesorphin, methyldihydroniorphine, morpheridine, nora composition comprising a ceramic structure and a drug is cymethadol, pethidine, phenadoxone, phenampromide, provided. The ceramic structure is roughly spherical and phencyclidine, psilocin, racemethorphan, racemoramide, hollow. The drug is coated in the hollow portion of the racemorphan, rolicyclidine, tenocyclidine, thebacon, the ceramic structure, and the mean diameter of the structure baine, tilidate, trimeperidine, acetyldihydrocodeine, ranges from 10 nm to 100 um. The mean particle diameter amphetamine, glutethimide, lefetamine, mecloqualone, oftentimes ranges according to the following: 10 nm to 100 methaqualone, methcathinone, methylamphetamine, meth nm, 101 nm to 200 nmi; 201 nm to 300 nmi; 301 nm to 400 ylphenidate, methylphenobarbitone, nicocodine, nicodicod US 2006/0127486 A1 Jun. 15, 2006 inc, norcodeine, phenmetrazine, pholcodine, propiram, following: 10 nm to 100 nm, 101 nm to 200 nmi; 201 nm to Zipeprol, alprazolam, a minorex, benzphetamine, bro 300 nmi; 301 nm to 400 nmi; 401 nm to 500 nm, 501 nm to mazepam., brotizolam, camazepam, cathine, cathinone, 600 nm, 601 nm to 700 nm, 701 nm to 800 nm, 801 nm to ehlordiazepoxide, chlorphentermine, clobazam, elon 900 nm, 901 nm to 1 um; 1 um to 10 um; 11 um to 25um; azepam, cloraZepic acid, clotiazepam, cloxazolam, and, 26 um to 100 um. delorazepam, dextropropoxyphene, diazepam, diethylpro pion, estaZolarn, ethchlorVynol, ethinamate, ethyl loflaze 0017 Variation in particle size throughout a sample is pate, fencamfamin, fenethylline, fenproporex, fludiazepam, typically well-controlled. For instance, variation is typically flunitrazepam, flurazepam, halazepam, haloxazolam, keta less than 10.0% of the mean diameter, preferably less than Zolam, loprazolam, lorazepam, lormetazepam, mazindol, 7.5% of the mean diameter, and more preferably less than medazepam, mefenorex, mephentermine, meprobamate, 5.0% of the mean diameter. mesocarb, methyprylone, midazolam, nimetaz.epam, 0018 Surface area of the ceramic structures depends on nitrazepam, nordazepam, oxazepam, oxazolam, pemoline, several factors, including particle shape, particle size, and phendimetrazine, phentermine, pinazeparn, pipadrol, particle porosity. Typically, the Surface area of roughly praZeparn, pyrovalerone, temazepam, tetrazepam, triazolam, spherical particles ranges from 0.1 m/g to 100 m/g. The N-ethylamphetamine, atameStane, bolandiol, bolasterone, surface area oftentimes, however, ranges from 0.5 m/g to 50 bolazine, boldenone, bolenol, bolmantalate, calusterone, m?g. 4-chloromethandienone, clostebol, drostanolone, enestebol, epitioStanol, ethyloestrenol, fluoxymesterone, formebolone, 0019 Wall thicknesses of hollow particles tend to range furazabol, mebolazine, mepitioStane, mesabolone, from 10 nm to 5 um, with a range of 50 nm to 3 um being mestarolone, mesterolone, methandienone, methandriol, typical. Pore sizes of such particles further range from 1 nm methenolone,