Inhaled formulations of the NSAID indomethacin

Background

Patients suffering from headache and migraine have a limited list of thera­peutic options that often is shortened by issues stemming from tolerability or efficacy. For this reason, there is a big push in the industry to develop inhaled treatments for these disorders. The invention described here repurposes a compound with known efficacy for headache and migraine disorders to an inhaled form with a simple and scalable formulation. Currently, the compound is commonly delivered either orally or via suppository, which often results in bothersome or even fatal side effects. Improving the tolerability of the compound by reformulating as a dry powder inhaler will provide significant advantages to patients requiring both short- and long-term treatment.

Technology overview

The invention is a formulation of a therapeutic agent for delivery via dry powder inhaler to treat migraine and headache disorders. The dry powder inhaler delivers a therapeutic dose of an active ingredient using a formulation that is simple to scale and manufacture.

Benefits

  • Quicker onset of action
  • Decreased dose requirement
  • Minimized side effects
  • Non-invasive

Commercial applications

  • Patients suffering from trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (paroxysmal hemicranias, episodic paroxysmal hemicrania, chromic paroxysmal hemicrania, hemicrania continua)
  • Other primary headache disorders such as primary cough headache, primary exercise headache, primary headache associated with sexual activity, primary stabbing headache, cluster headache, and chronic migraine

Opportunity

This innovation addresses a significant unmet need in the treatment of headache disorders by providing a novel delivery method for the NSAID indomethacin. With its rapid onset of action, reduced side effects, and non-invasive nature, this inhaled formulation has the potential to revolutionize the management of migraine and headache disorders, improving the quality of life for millions of patients worldwide.

Patent Information: