Patent ID: 7511075

Claim:
A method of inhibiting neurotoxic injury in a patient wherein said injury is caused by free radical oxygen species released by neurons due to the stimulation by glutamate of NMDA receptors of said neurons that comprises administering to said patient a composition comprising an e,e,e malonic acid/acetic acid tri-adduct of buckminsterfullerene of the formula C 60 (R) 3 represented by the following structure: wherein each R is independently selected from the group consisting of moieties of the formula â•CR 1 R 2 , wherein each R 1 and R 2 of said â•CR 1 R 2 moiety is independently selected from the group consisting of â€”H and â€”COOH, provided, however, that at least one R 1 or R 2 of at least one of said â•CR 1 R 2 moieties is a hydrogen, and wherein the C in each of said â•CR 1 R 2 moieties is bonded directly to two adjacent carbons of the C 60 moiety; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of said e,e,e malonic acid/acetic acid tri-adduct of buckminsterfullerene or pharmaceutically acceptable ester of said e,e,e malonic acid/acetic acid tri-adduct of buckminsterfullerene, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein said buckminsterfullerene, said salt, or said ester, is present in said composition in an amount effective to inhibit said neurotoxic injury.