Progesterone for treating or reducing ischemia

• US 5,985,861 A
• Filed: 11/04/1996
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Juniper Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Catalent, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Columbia Laboratories, Inc. (Catalent, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levine, Howard L., Bologna, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Rebecca
• Application Number:
  US08/743,153
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 514/177, 514/170
• US Class Current: 514/170
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/57 substituted in position 17 beta by a chain of two carbon atoms, e.g. pregnane or progesterone
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 9/10 for treating ischaemic or atherosclerotic diseases, e.g. antianginal drugs, coronary vasodilators, drugs for myocardial infarction, retinopathy, cerebrovascula insufficiency, renal arteriosclerosis

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of treating or reducing ischemia or incidence of cardiovascular events by administering progesterone. Progesterone, unlike synthetic progestins, has been demonstrated to supplement, rather than to decrease, the beneficial effects of estrogen therapy on myocardial ischemia in females.

Claims

1. A method of increasing the beneficial effects of estrogen therapy for reducing myocardial ischemia comprising administering to a subject receiving said estrogen therapy an effective amount of progesterone.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the myocardial ischemia is effort-induced.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the subject is a female and the progesterone is vaginally delivered via a drug delivery system which comprises a cross-linked polycarboxylic acid polymer and progesterone.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the polymer is polycarbophil.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the female is menopausal and about 90 mg of progesterone is delivered every other day.