Method and apparatus for use in treating a patient with any drug to optimize therapy and prevent an adverse drug

• US 6,575,169 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dimensional Dosing Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: The Rxfiles Corporation
• Inventors: McMichael, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/832,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20010020475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 128/897-98, 600/300, 600/308, 600/347, 600/364-66, 600/368
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0004 Screening or testing of compounds for diagnosis of disorders, assessment of conditions, e.g. renal clearance, gastric emptying, testing for diabetes, allergy, rheuma, pancreas functions
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A method and system for use in treating a patient receiving any drug to optimize therapy and to prevent an adverse drug response. This system employs surrogate markers or indicators, including blood levels of drug, to determine the next required dose for a patient. Virtually any indicator can be used as the surrogate marker. Surrogate markers could include any measure of the effectiveness of a drug'"'"'s action. Given the effectiveness of the drug'"'"'s action, relative to the surrogate markers, a change in drug dose is calculated by the system which uses a stochastic loop mechanism. Conversely, by employing this system, one could determine the expected result of a drug dose change based on the surrogate markers.

Claims

1. A method for calculating a new dose of a drug for a patient using said drug, comprising the steps of:

accepting as a first input the patient'"'"'s current drug dose;

accepting as a second input the maximum dose of the drug;

accepting as a third input one or more numerical markers indicating a response of the patient;

calculating said new dose, wherein said new dose is a function of said current dose minus the ratio of the change in numerical markers and the ratio of said current dose to said maximum dose plus the percent of individual patient response multiplied by a response factor; and

said calculating step includes calculating said new dose based on the equation

2. An apparatus for calculating a new dose of a drug for a patient, comprising:

first means for accepting as input one or more markers which indicate said patient'"'"'s response to a dose of a drug;

second means for accepting as input the patient'"'"'s current drug dose;

third means for accepting as input the maximum dose of the drug;

fourth means for calculating said new dose of the drug as a function of said markers, said current drug dose, and said maximum drug dose; and

said new dose is calculated by the following equation;

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

said markers are actual numerical markers.