Local prevention or amelioration of pain from surgically closed wounds

• US 6,383,511 B1
• Filed: 10/25/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Epicept Corporation (Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Epicept Corporation (Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
• Inventors: Cassel, R. Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Rose, Shep K.
• Application Number:
  US09/425,925
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 424/448, 424/449
• US Class Current: 424/449
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/167 having the nitrogen of a carboxamide group directly attached to the aromatic ring, e.g. lidocaine, paracetamol
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/245 Amino benzoic acid types, e.g. procaine, novocaine salicylic acid esters A61K31/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/445 Non condensed piperidines, e.g. piperocaine
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/47 Quinolines; Isoquinolines
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 45/06 Mixtures of active ingredients without chemical characterisation, e.g. antiphlogistics and cardiaca
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/7084 Transdermal patches having a drug layer or reservoir, and one or more separate drug-free skin-adhesive layers, e.g. between drug reservoir and skin, or surrounding the drug reservoir; Liquid-filled reservoir patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/44 Medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/402 Anaestetics, analgesics, e.g. lidocaine
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 23/02 Local anaesthetics
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/04 Centrally acting analgesics, e.g. opioids
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/20 Hypnotics; Sedatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 41/00 Drugs used in surgical methods, e.g. surgery adjuvants for preventing adhesion or for vitreum substitution

Abstract

A non-invasive and non-systemic method for intradermal prevention OR amelioration of pain from a surgically closed wound is disclosed. The method comprises topical delivery of a local anesthetic to an exterior surface of a surgically closed wound.

Claims

1. A method of preventing or ameliorating pain from a surgically closed wound in a subject comprising topically applying a pharmaceutically acceptable drug formulation comprising a therapeutically effective dose of a local anesthetic or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt there of on or adjacent to an exterior surface of the wound, wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable drug formulation is contained in a patch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wound resulted from a surgical procedure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the surgical procedure is selected from the group consisting of laparoscopy, hemiaplasty, breast biopsy, and excision of subcutaneous tumors.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the surgical procedure is selected from the group consisting of hemiaplasty and laparoscopy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the local anesthetic is selected from the group consisting of lidocaine, tetracaine, bupivacaine, prilocaine, mepivacaine, procaine, chloroprocaine, ropivacaine, dibucaine, etidocaine, and benzocaine or a mixture thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the local anesthetic is lidocaine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable topical drug formulation does not comprise a penetration enhancer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable topical drug formulation is covered with a dressing after the application step.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the patch is a type selected from the group consisting of monolithic drug-in-adhesive, multi-laminate drug-in-adhesive, matrix, and reservoir.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the patch is applied daily after a surgical procedure.