Title:  Method and composition for the treatment of scars

United States Patent:  6,337,076

Assignee:  SG Licensing Corporation (Great Neck, NY)

Filed:  November 17, 1999

A method and composition for treating hypertrophic scars so as to reduce the size and approve the appearance of scars comprises applying to the scar a composition comprising a film-forming carrier such as a Collodion which contains one or more active ingredients such as a topical steroid, silicone gel and vitamin E. Novel compositions using the Collodion film-forming carrier are also useful to treat a variety of adverse skin disorders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As expressed above, existing therapy for hypertrophic scars and keloids has included surgery, mechanical pressure, X-ray irradiation, cryotherapy, and the application of various medicaments such as steroids, vitamins, as well as vegetable and animal extracts. Again, there are many disadvantages associated with each of these methods. Thus, surgical removal of the scar tissue is often incomplete and can result in the development of hypertrophic scars and keloids at the incision and suture points. X-ray therapy is the only predictably effective treatment to date, however, because of its potential for causing cancer, X-ray therapy is not generally recommended or accepted. The most common approach to control hypertrophic scar and keloid formation is to apply pressure, which appears to be effective in many instances. However, this treatment has limited application, generally based on the size and location of the scar tissue on the body. Steroid injections are unpredictable and often result in depigmentation of the skin. Application of silicon-based gels such as in sheets has resulted in general improvement in the appearance and size of treated scars, but the mechanism of such healing is not known and the inconvenience of such silicone gel sheets has been discussed previously.

Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is to provide an effective and, yet convenient to use composition which can improve the size and appearance of scars, in particular, hypertrophic scars.

In its broadest aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for the treatment of hypertrophic scars with a medicament capable of reducing the size or improving the appearance of scars and which is carried within a film-forming carrier which can be accurately and directly applied to the affected scar tissue, and dries to a substantially clear film to hold the medicament in place. The film-forming carrier of the present invention is Collodion which comprises a solution of pyroxilin (nitrocellulose) in a 25/75 mixture of alcohol and ether, or Flexible Collodion which comprises a mixture of Collodion with camphor and castor oil. This film-forming carrier is not oily or greasy as has characterized carriers used with the application of vitamins or other vegetable or animal extracts or with steroids. The film-forming carrier of the present invention can be applied directly onto the scar to be treated without the need for rubbing or the application of pressure such as with oily or greasy carriers which application can often be painful to the person whose scar is being treated.

In another aspect of the present invention, a composition is provided which is effective for reducing the size and appearance of hypertrophic scars and can be readily and accurately applied directly to the scar without the problems associated with oils and greases, or wraps and sheets, which have been used to merely apply pressure or provide contact with silicon gels. In this aspect of the invention, a composition is provided comprising a Collodion or Flexible Collodion film-forming carrier which includes a dermatologically effective steroid such as a corticosteroid which can be applied directly onto the scar tissue and which dries to a clear film which contains the steroid medicament.

In an alternative to the invention described immediately above, a corticosteroid, silicone gel or vitamin E, or mixtures thereof is provided in a Collodion or Flexible Collodion film-forming carrier and used to treat not only scars but a variety of skin conditions and disorders.

In still another aspect of the present invention, a composition for the treatment of hypertrophic scars so as to reduce the size of the scar and improve the appearance thereof is provided by combining a dermatologically effective steroid such as hydrocortisone, a silicone gel and, optionally, vitamin E in a single carrier which can be applied directly to the scar tissue and presents for the first time a multicomponent medicament composition combining the effective properties of components which have been used singly. It has been found that the steroid, silicone gel and vitamin E can be effectively mixed within a film-forming carrier such as Collodion or Flexible Collodion and be applied directly to the scar tissue in a convenient manner without the need for massaging the composition into the scar. The composition dries to a clear film, remaining on the affected area without the need for wraps, tapes, and without the disadvantages of oils or greases which disadvantageously can discolor clothing and need to be rubbed or massaged onto and into the scar.

Claim 1 of 24 Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating hypertrophic scars so as to reduce the size and/or improve the appearance thereof comprises; applying onto a hypertrophic scar a liquid composition comprising a Collodion film-forming carrier having contained therein a dermatologically effective amount of an active ingredient capable of reducing the size of the scar or improving the appearance thereof, drying said film-forming carrier to form a dry protective film physically adhered to said scar to maintain contact of the active ingredients on said scar.

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