Methods of treating fibromyalgia

• US 6,602,911 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Forest Laboratories Holdings Limited (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Systems Incorporated (Logisteed Limited)
• Inventors: Kranzler, Jay D., Rao, Srinivas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Rebecca
• Application Number:
  US10/028,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 514/624
• US Class Current: 514/624
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2300/00 Mixtures or combinations of active ingredients, wherein at least one active ingredient is fully defined in groups A61K31/00 - A61K41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/00 Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/135 having aromatic rings , e.g. ketamine, nortriptyline methadone A61K31/137
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/165 having aromatic rings, e.g. colchicine, atenolol, progabide
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 19/04 for non-specific disorders of the connective tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 25/00 Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 3/10 for hyperglycaemia, e.g. antidiabetics

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of treating fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and pain in an animal subject. The method generally involves administering a therapeutically effective amount of a dual serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein said dual serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor compound is characterized by a non-tricyclic structure and an equal or greater inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake than serotonin reuptake. In particular, the use of milnacipran to treat FMS, CFS, and pain is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of treating fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) comprising administering to an animal subject suffering from FMS, a composition wherein the active ingredient consists of milnacipran, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in an amount effective to treat the chronic pain and fatigue associated with FMS.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the animal subject is a human.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of milnacipran administered is from about 25 mg to about 400 mg per day.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the milnacipran is formulated in a sustained release dosage formulation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of milnacipran administered is at least 100 mg per day.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of milnacipran administered is between 100 and 400 mg per day.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of milnacipran administered is between 100 and 250 mg per day.