Patent ID: 8241662

Claim:
A method of treating a patient with an overactive bladder comprising the step of topically applying an unoccluded topical oxybutynin gel formulation to an outer skin surface of the patient's chest, torso, abdomen, arms or thighs once a day wherein the unoccluded topical gel formulation consists of: (i) a therapeutically effective amount of oxybutynin free base, oxybutynin chloride or a mixture of oxybutynin free base and oxybutynin chloride; (ii) about 1 wt % to about 30 wt. % water; (iii) about 0.05 wt % to about 10 wt. % gelling agent selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylbutyl cellulose, hydroxypropylpentyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, ethylcellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose phthalate, cellulose acetate and mixtures or copolymers thereof; (iv) at least 40 wt. % of a solvent selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, C 4 -C 10 mono-alcohols and mixtures thereof; (v) optionally up to about 10 wt. % emollient selected from the group consisting of fatty alcohols of about 12 to 20 carbon atoms, fatty acid esters having about 12 to 20 carbon atoms in the fatty acid moiety, petrolatum, mineral oils, soybean oil, sesame oil, almond oil, aloe vera gel, glycerol, allantoin and mixtures thereof; (vi) optionally a pH additive selected from the group consisting of methylamine, ethylamine, dialkylamines, trialkylamines, alkanolamines, dialkanolamines, triethanolamine, carbonic acid, acetic acid, oxalic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, phosphoric acid, sodium or potassium salts thereof, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide and mixtures thereof; and (viii) optionally a permeation enhancer; to provide a plasma area under the curve (AUC) ratio of oxybutynin to N-desethyloxybutynin of from about 0.5:1 to about 5:1, while minimizing an anticholinergic or antimuscarinic adverse drug experience associated with said treatment.