METHOD OF TREATING PRURITIS AND COMPOSITION THEREFOR

Abstract: A topical treatment for relieving pruritis wherein Naloxone, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of a pharmaceutically acceptable chemical derivative is topically applied in a lotion, solution, cream or ointment.

Description: METHOD OF TREATING PRURITIS AND COMPOSITION THEREFOR The present invention relates to a composition for relieving pruritis. Itching or pruritis is a common dermatologiσ symptom. < p ne causes of pruritis are complex and poorly understood. The best understood mechanism of itching is the release of histamine in the skin leading to urticarial wheals-and intense itching. Such itching has traditionally been relieved by antihistamines. While antihistamine therapy is often effective, the sedation and drowsiness produced by antihistaminic agents limits their effectiveness. Many kinds of itching are not however easily relieved by antihistamines. For example, conditions such as Hodgkin's Disease, mycosis fungoides (cut- aneous malignacy) and severe jaundice produce intense itching unrelieved by antihistamines. Therefore, there is a need for improved treatment to relieve severe itching which can not only be an alternative to an¬ tihistaminic treatment of itching du to such causes as mosquitoe bites which responds to such treatment, but which further provides relief in intractable cases of pruritis which heretofore have been virtually im¬ possible to treat except as disclosed in my prior U. S. Patent No. 4,181,726 which relates to a method based on the systemic effects on the central nervous system. The present invention provides such a composition and method independent of systemic effects on the central nervous system. Naloxone is a narcotic antagonist which is not known to cause physical or psychological dependence and which exhibits essentially no pharmacological activity in non-addicts. Naloxone is normally given by injection to addicts to assist them in narcotic with¬ drawal and"sometimes is administered to post operative patients for partial reversal of narcotic depression following the use of narcotics during surgery. It has been found surprisingly that topical " applications of Naloxone are useful in alleviating severe itching in various conditions. The present invention provides a method for relieving severe itching in patients in need of such treatment, said method comprising topically administer¬ ing a therapeutically effective amount of Naloxone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or Naltrex- one to a patient in need of such treatment. Naloxone hydrochloride is commercially avail- able from Endo Laboratories, Inc., a subsidiary of the DuPont Company, 1000 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, New York 11530. The preparation of Naloxone is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,254,088. The term pharmaceutically acceptable salts, as used herein, refers to the physiologically acceptable acid addition salts of Naloxone such as the hydrochloride, hydrobromide, hydroiodide, acetate, valerate, oleate, etc. Liquid dosage forms for topical administra- tion includes acceptable emulsions, solutions and sus¬ pensions containing volatile diluents commonly used in the art, such as alcohol, glycol and the like. Besides such diluents, topically applied compositions may also include wetting agents, emulsifying and suspending agents. In the practice of this invention Naloxone in "& JREA the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt such as the hydrochloride and pharmaceutically acceptable chemical derivatives thereof such as Naltrexone which is the n-methyl cyclopropyl derivative are incorporated into solutions, lotions, creams, and ointments for topical application in concentrations of from 0.01 to about 5 percent by weight. These topical products are applied to the skin 1 to 8 times daily. The relief experienced by those receiving the topical application was prompt although temporary. EXAMPLE 1 1 percent by weight Naloxone hydrochloride was incorporated into a solution composed of 70 percent by volume ethyl alcohol and 30 percent by volume propylene glycol and applied 6 times daily to 2 mosquito bites of less than 24 hours duration on an 11 year-old male. This child noted relief from his itching within 10 minutes of each application and the relief lasted 2-4 hours. EXAMPLE 2 A 0.05% by weight Naloxone hydrochloride was incorporated into Eucerin (R.T.M) cream and applied 4 times daily to the body of a 60 year-old male with in¬ tractable itching due to mycosis fungoides. Eucerin (R.T.M.) cream is a synthetic lanolin containing cream produced by Beiersdorf, Inc. of South Norwalk, Conneticut 06854. This was the first topical product the patient used that provided him with any significant relief from his itching. EXAMPLE 3 An ointment composed chiefly of petrolatum and containing 0.01% by weight Naloxone hydrochloride was applied 4 times daily to the body of a 60 year-Old male with mycosis fungoides. Itching was diminished, al- though not as much as with. the higher concentration of Naloxone in Example 2. EXAMPLE 4 0.1% by weight Naloxone hydrochloride was incorporated into a zinc shake lotion and applied to the mosquitoe bites of a 6 year-old girl during a one month five interval in the summer. This lotion provided excellent relief from the itching. EXAMPLE 5 5% by weight Naloxone hydrochloride was in¬ corporated into an ointment and applied 4 times daily for two days to a small eczematous patch on the left hand of a 38 hear-old male. Itching was dramatically reduced by each application of the test ointment.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method for relieving severe itching in patients in need of such treatment, said method com¬ prising topically administering a therapeutiσally ef¬ fective amount of Naloxone or a pharmaceutically ac¬ ceptable salt thereof or Naltrexone to a patient in need of such treatment. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said Nal¬ oxone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or Naltrexone -is present in a ' solution, lotion, cream or ointment in the range of between about 0.01 percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein said Nal¬ oxone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or Naltrexone is administered to a patient in need of such treatment periodically from 1 to 8.times per day. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable salt of Naloxone is a physiologically acceptable acid addition salt. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable salt of Naloxone is Naloxone hydrochloride. 6. A composition of matter comprising a therapeutically effective amount of Naloxone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof of Naltrexone in a solution, lotion, cream or ointment. 7. The composition of claim 6, wherein Naloxone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or Naltrexone is present in the solution, lotion, cream or ointment in the range of between about 0.01 percent by weight to about 5 percent by weight. 8. The composition of claim 6, wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of Naloxone is a physiologically acceptable acid addition salt. 9. The composition of claim 8, wherein said salt is Naloxone hydrochloride.

Inventors: BERNSTEIN JOEL E, BERNSTEIN, JOEL, E.
Applicants: BERNSTEIN JOEL E, BERNSTEIN, JOEL, E.
Application year: 1982
Main classification: A61K31
IPC codes: A61K31, C07D489