Patent ID: 6861068

Claim:
A pharmaceutical composition, comprising: an active agent selected from mepivacaine, bupivacaine, dibucaine, procaine, lidocaine, tetracaine, antibiotics, antivirals, fungicides, scabicides or pediculicides, benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, chlorhexidine gluconate, mafenide acetate, methylbenzethonium chloride, nitrofurazone, nitromersol, estrogens, progestins, androgens, adrenocorticoids, insulin, erythropoietin, morphogenic proteins, bone morphogenic protein, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, ketorolac, COX-1 inhibitors, COX-2 inhibitors, mechlorethamine, cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil, thioguanine, carmustine, lomustine, melphalan, chlorambucil, streptozocin, methotrexate, vincristine, bleomycin, vinblastine, vindesine, dactinomycin, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, tamoxifen, morphine, meperidine, codeine, combrestatin, contortrostatin, anti-VEGF, astringents, antiperspirants, irritants, rubefacients, vesicants, sclerosing agents, caustics, escharotics, keratolytic agents, sunscreens, hypopigmenting and antipruritic agents, fungicides, pesticides, herbicides, plant growth promoters or inhibitors, preservatives, disinfectants, air purifiers, nutrients, dexamethasone, cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, beclomethasone, betamethasone, flunisolide, fluocinolone acetonide, fluocinonide, triamcinolone, flurogestone, medroxyprogesterone, norgestrel, norgestimate, norethindrone, fluorouracil and LHRH antagonists; and a semi-solid delivery vehicle comprising: a polyorthoester of formula I or formula II where: R is a bond, —(CH 2 ) a —, or —(CH 2 ) b —O—(CH 2 ) c —; where a is an integer of 1 to 10, and b and c are independently integers of 1 to 5; R* is a C 1-4 alkyl; n is an integer of at least 5; and A is R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , or R 4 , where R 1 is: where: p is an integer of 1 to 20; R 5 is hydrogen or C 1-4 alkyl; and R 6 is: where: s is an integer of 0 to 30; t is an integer of 2 to 200; and R 7 is hydrogen or C 1-4 alkyl; R 2 is: R 3 is: where: x is an integer of 0 to 30; y is an integer of 2 to 200; R 8 is hydrogen or C 1-4 alkyl; R 9 and R 10 are independently C 1-12 alkylene; R 11 is hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl and R 12 is C 1-6 alkyl; or R 11 and R 12 together are C 3-10 alkylene; and R 4 is a diol containing at least one functional group independently selected from armide, imide, urea, and urethane groups; in which at least 0.1 mol percent of the A units are of the formula R 1 , and a pharmaceutically acceptable, polyorthoester-compatible liquid excipient selected from polyethylene glycol ether derivatives having a molecular weight between 200 and 4000, polyethylene glycol copolymers having a molecular weight between 400 and 4000, mono-, di-, or tri-glycerides of a C 2-19 aliphatic carboxylic acid or a mixture of such acids, alkoxylated tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohols and their C 1-4 alkyl ethers and C 2-19 aliphatic carboxylic acid esters, and biocompatible oils.