Patent ID: 8216604

Claim:
A method of treating or managing pain by intranasally administering to an animal in need thereof in a single dosage regimen having a practical dose volume to provide rapid absorption in combination with a lower peak plasma concentration than that provided using a simple aqueous solution and in an amount to effectively treat or manage pain, a pharmaceutical composition comprising an aqueous solution of fentanyl or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in an amount to effectively treat or manage pain that is from 0.1 to 30 mg/ml of fentanyl or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof (expressed as fentanyl base) and a pectin having a degree of esterification (DE value) of less than 30%, provided that the composition is substantially free of divalent metal ions; wherein the animal administered the composition in the single dosage regimen is provided with a peak plasma concentration of fentanyl (C max ) that is from 20 to 75% of that achieved using a simple aqueous solution of fentanyl administered intranasally at an identical fentanyl dose; and wherein the intranasal administration of the composition provides a time to achieve peak plasma concentration (T max ) of fentanyl in the animal's plasma of 5 to 30 minutes.