Pharmaceutical compositions and methods relating to fucans

Abstract

Compositions, methods and the like comprising fucans such as fucoidan to treat surgical adhesions, arthritis, and psoriasis.

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
     
     
         19 . A method of treating arthritis in an animal comprising selecting a fucan to inhibit the arthritis and administering a therapeutically effective amount of the fucan to a disease site comprising arthritis.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 20  wherein the arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis and the fucan is fucoidan.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the fucan is substantially continuously administered to the disease site via controlled release from a polymeric dosage form.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the polymeric dosage form comprises a film, patch, paste, microsphere, implant, gel, spray or liquid.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the fucan is delivered as a part of a composition and the fucan comprises about 0.1% to 35% w/w of the composition.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the fucan is administered as a composition in a form comprising at least one of a cream, paste, injectable excipient and a polymer.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the composition further comprises at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient selected from the group consisting of a pluronic, cellulose, alginate, acrylate, hyaluronic acid, polyethylene glycol, and chitosan.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the fucan is administered as a pharmaceutical composition comprising the fucan and a therapeutically effective amount of at least one other drug.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the other drug comprises at least one of a paclitaxel, doxorubicin, camptothecin, and etoposide.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the other drug comprises at least one of a mitoxantrone, methotrexate, menadione, plumbagin, juglone, beta-laperchone cyclosporin, sulfasalazine, steroid, rapamycin, retinoid, docetaxel, and coichicine.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the other drug comprises at least one of an antisense oligonucleotide, ribozyme and an oligonucleotide RNA inhibitor.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the fucan is administered directly to the disease site.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the fucan is administered via injection to the disease site.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the fucan is administered orally, intraocularly, subcutaneously, intraperitoneally, intramuscularly, intravenously, intraarticularly, intralesionally, intravaginally, rectally or topically.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 19  or  20  wherein the animal is a human.  
     
     
         34 - 46 . (canceled)  
     
     
         47 . A pharmaceutical composition configured for the treatment of arthritis comprising a polymeric dosage form of a fucan comprising a therapeutically effective amount of the fucan and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient selected from the group consisting of a pluronic, cellulose, alginate, acrylate, hyaluronic acid, polyethylene glycol, and chitosan.  
     
     
         48 . The composition of  claim 47  wherein the polymeric dosage form comprises a film, patch, paste, microsphere, implant, gel, spray or liquid.  
     
     
         49 . The composition of  claim 47  wherein the fucan is fucoidan.  
     
     
         50 - 55 . (canceled)  
     
     
         56 . A method of manufacturing a medicament able to reduce symptoms associated with arthritis in a human patient, comprising combining a pharmaceutically effective amount of fucoidan and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or buffer.  
     
     
         57 . (canceled)  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the symptoms are associated with arthritis.  
     
     
         59 . (canceled)