Patent ID: 8536223

Claim:
A topical pharmaceutical composition comprising: a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) derivative of formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein -Alk- is —CH(OR 2 )-[trans]CH═CH-[cis]CH═CH—CH 2 -[cis]CH═CH—C 3 H 6 —, —(CH 2 ) 3 —CH(OR 2 )-[trans]CH═CH-[cis]CH═CH—CH 2 -[cis]CH═CH—, —(CH 2 ) 3 -[cis]CH═CH—CH 2 -[cis]CH═CH-[trans]CH═CH—CH(OR 2 )— or —(CH 2 ) 3 -[cis]CH═CH—CH 2 -[cis]CH═CH—CH 2 -[cis]CH═CH—; R 1 is a hydrogen atom; R 2 is a hydrogen atom; or R 2 is a group —(C═O)—R 5 , wherein R 5 is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkenyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, C 6 -C 10 aryl, 5- to 10-membered heteroaryl, C 3 -C 7 carbocyclyl or 5- to 10-membered heterocyclyl group, or R 5 is an aliphatic group having from 3 to 29 carbon atoms; or R 2 is a group of formula —(CH 2 OCH 2 ) n OH, wherein n is an integer of from 1 to 200; and wherein said alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and aliphatic groups are the same or different and are each unsubstituted or substituted with 1, 2 or 3 unsubstituted substituents which are the same or different and are selected from halogen atoms and C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 2 -C 4 alkenyloxy, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 4 haloalkenyl, C 1 -C 4 haoalkoxy, C 2 -C 4 haloalkenyloxy, hydroxyl, —SR′, and —NR′R″ groups where R′ and R″ are the same or different and represent hydrogen or unsubstituted C 1 -C 2 alkyl; said aryl, heteroaryl, carbocyclyl and heterocyclyl groups are the same or different and are each unsubstituted or substituted by 1, 2, 3 or 4 unsubstituted substituents which are the same or different and are selected from halogen atoms, and cyano, nitro, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, C 1 -C 4 alkoxy, C 2 -C 4 alkenyl, C 2 -C 4 alkenyloxy, C 1 -C 4 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 4 haloalkenyl, C 1 -C 4 haloalkoxy, C 2 -C 4 haloalkenyloxy, hydroxyl, C 1 -C 4 hydroxyalky, —SR′ and —NR′R″ groups wherein each R′ and R″ is the same or different and represents hydrogen or unsubstituted C 1 -C 4 alkyl; and wherein the PUFA derivative is in the form of a racemate, a stereoisomer or a mixture of stereoisomers; at least one preservative and at least one pharmaceutical excipient; and wherein the topical pharmaceutical composition is substantially free of arachidonic acid and glucocorticoids.