Patent ID: 6984402

Claim:
A method of preventing, treating or controlling atrial fibrillation or the symptoms thereof, in a subject in need thereof, comprising: orally administering to said subject once prior to sleep a dosage formulation comprising a biologically inert pellet; a drug layer coating the biologically inert pellet, said drug layer comprising a dosage form of a pharmaceutical agent and a binder agent, said binder agent and said pharmaceutical agent being present in a ratio of about 0.5:20; and an outer rate controlling layer coating the drug layer, said outer rate controlling layer comprising a water insoluble polymer, said water insoluble polymer being present in a total amount in the range of from about 5–12% of the total weight of the dosage formulation; wherein release of the pharmaceutical agent from the dosage formulation in vitro substantially corresponds to the following dissolution profile, as measured in water in a paddle apparatus according to U.S. Pharmacopeia XXII at 100 rpm: a) not more than about 8% of the pharmaceutical agent is released at about 5 hours from the time of the administration of the dosage formulation; and b) about 90% of the pharmaceutical agent is released at about 15 hours from the time of the administration of the dosage formulation.