APREPITANT FOR USE IN THE TOPICAL TREATMENT OF FACIAL NEURALGIA

Abstract

The present invention relates to a compound selected from aprepitant, prodrugs thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, or a composition comprising such a compound, for use in the topical treatment and prevention of facial neuralgia, in particular trigeminal neuralgia.

Claims

1. A method of treating or preventing facial neuralgia, the method comprising topically administering a compound selected from aprepitant, prodrugs thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the facial neuralgia is trigeminal neuralgia.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said compound is aprepitant.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said compound is fosaprepitant.

4. A method of treating or preventing facial neuralgia, the method comprising administering a topical composition comprising a compound selected from aprepitant, prodrugs thereof and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the facial neuralgia is trigeminal neuralgia.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said compound is aprepitant.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said compound is fosaprepitant.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the topical composition is in the form of a solution, a gel, a cream, an ointment, a lotion, a spray, an aerosol spray, an aerosol foam or a patch.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the compound is in a concentration from 0.1% to 30%, preferably in a concentration of 2%, by weight relative to the weight of the final composition.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the topical composition is formulated into a unit dose form.

10. The topical composition for use method according to claim 4, wherein the topical composition is applied to the affected area once daily, twice daily, three times daily, once every second day, three times weekly, twice weekly or once weekly.

11. The topical composition for use method according to claim 4, wherein the topical composition further comprises a penetration enhancer.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0045] Three patients suffering from facial neuralgia were treated with success with topical applications of aprepitant cream.

[0046] Patient 1, a man aged 66, suffered from trigeminal neuralgia since 30 years.

[0047] No relieved by: ketamine, multi anti-depressants and anti-epileptics, opioids.

[0048] The patient took 8 actiskenan per os every day. He tried aprepitan cream at 0.5% with moderate beneficial effects then tried aprepitan cream at 1.5% with a very good relief of pain in one month. He was able to stop completely opioids.

[0049] Patient 2, a woman aged 41, suffered from facial neuralgia since 1 year.

[0050] No relieved by: pregabalin, gabapentin, methadone, duloxetine and amitriptyline.

[0051] She tried aprepitan cream at 1.5% with a very good relief of pain in one month. She was able to stop pregabalin and halve the daily methadone doses.

[0052] Patient 3, a man aged 68, suffered from post-zooster facial neuralgia since 2013.

[0053] No relieved by: amitriptylin, tramadol, pregabalin, acupuncture and Versatis patch.

[0054] The patient took pregabalin 300 mg twice a day and tramadol 50 mg every 6 h. He tried aprepitan cream at 1.5% with a very good relief of pain in one month and was able to stop pregabalin and to decrease tramadol.