Patent ID: 7842801

Claim:
A photodynamic therapy method using a photosensitizer comprising a pharmaceutical carrier and one or more phthalocyanine dyes of general formula (II) wherein R 1 -R 8 independently represent a linear or branched alkyl group having up to 8 carbon atoms; R 9 -R 12 independently represent hydrogen, a linear or branched alkyl group having up to 8 carbon atoms or halogen; Me represents zinc, aluminum, magnesium, hydrogen, gallium, germanium or tin; M represents hydrogen, a metal cation or an ammonium cation, which optionally may be substituted by one or more unsubstituted or substituted alkyl or hydroxyalkoxyalkyl groups each having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms; and m, n, o, p independently are 1 or 2; wherein said photosensitizer is used to treat cancer; comprising the steps of administering an effective amount of said photosensitizer to detect the cancer; and applying light of sufficient wavelength to activate said phthalocyanine dye.