Title:  Selected drug delivery profiles using competing ions

United States Patent:  6,350,259

Assignee:  Vyteris, Inc. (Fair Lawn, NJ)

Filed:  January 10, 2000

The present invention relates to a non-invasive method and apparatus for pre selecting the drug delivery profile of a drug by controlling the concentration of ions added to or present in the reservoir containing the drug to be delivered, which ions would compete with the drug ions for the current.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling the flux profile of drug delivered by iontophoresis by, prior to ionthophoretic delivery adding to or having present in the reservoir containing the drug, ions which would compete with the drug ions for current (hereinafter referred to as "competing ions"). To achieve various flux profiles for the drug being delivered, one may use constant current, thus avoiding the shortcomings of prior methods, but vary the concentration of the competing ions.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides for an iontophoretic device for controlling the flux profile of drug delivered by iontophoresis by, prior to iontophoretic delivery, adding to or having present in the reservoir containing the drug, ions which would compete with the drug ions for current. The iontophoretic device has

(a) a current distributing member;

(b) an ionized substance reservoir containing an ionized or ionizable substance, in electrical communication with the current distributing member and adapted to be placed in ionic communication with the epithelial surface of a subject;

(c) an electrolyte reservoir containing an electrolyte, in electrical communication with an indifference electrode and in ionic communication with an epithelial surface; and

(d) an electrical power source in current delivering connection with the current distribution member and the electrolyte reservoir.

Claim 1 of 36 Claims

We claim:

1. A method for controlling the flux profile of an iontophoretically delivered ionized or ionizable drug comprising:

prior to iontophoretic delivery, adding to or having present in a reservoir, which is in ionic communication with said ionized or ionizable drug, ions having a concentration greater than about 0.06% and less than 1.0% by weight of electrolyte in said reservoir which will compete with the ionized or ionizable drug,

wherein said reservoir is in electrical communication with an electrode assembly.

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