Transmucosal Administration of Drug Compositions for Treating and Preventing Disorders in Animals

Abstract

The invention includes compositions for transmucosal administration to an animal comprising at least one active agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. A preferred active agent is selected from the group consisting of meloxicam, carprofen, enrofloxacin, clemastine, diphenhydramine, digoxin, levothyroxine, cyclosporine, ondansetron, lysine, zolpidem, propofol, nitenpyram, ivermectin, milbemycin, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvates and esters thereof. In another embodiment, the invention includes methods of treating or preventing a condition in an animal comprising transmucosally administering a composition comprising a therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of an active agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A composition for transmucosal administration to an animal comprising an antiparasitic agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the composition is a transmucosal oral mist. 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 23 , wherein the transmucosal oral mist is administered on the buccal mucosa, gingival mucosa, lingal mucosa, or sublingal mucosa. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 22 , further comprising a flavoring agent. 
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is a polar solvent. 
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is a nonpolar solvent. 
     
     
         28 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the antiparasitic agent is selected from the group consisting of endoparaciticidal agent, ectoparaciticidal agent, endectoaraciticidal agent, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the antiparasitic agent is selected from the group consisting of avermectins, milbemycins, phenylpyrazole, nodulisporic acid, clorsulon, closantel, quinacrine, chloroquine, vidarabine, nitenpyram, ivermectin, milbemysine oxime, lufenuron, salimectin, moxidectin, and dorimectin. 
     
     
         30 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the antiparasitic agent is selected from the group consisting of nitenpyram, ivermectin, milbemycine oxime, lufenuron, salimectin, moxidectin, and dorimectin. 
     
     
         31 . The composition of  claim 26 , wherein the polar solvent is selected from the group consisting of a polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight between 400 and 1000, a C 2  to C 5  mono- and poly-alcohol, and a C 1  to C 18  alcohol of linear or branched configuration. 
     
     
         32 . The composition of  claim 26 , wherein the polar solvent comprises aqueous ethanol. 
     
     
         33 . The composition of  claim 27 , wherein the nonpolar solvent is selected from the group consisting of a C 7 -C 18  hydrocarbon of a linear or branched configuration, a fatty acid ester, a triglyceride, and miglyol. 
     
     
         34 . The composition of  claim 22 , comprising an antiparasitic agent in an amount of from about 0.001 to about 80 percent by weight of the total composition. 
     
     
         35 . The composition of  claim 22 , comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in an amount from about 20 to about 99.999 percent by weight of the total composition. 
     
     
         36 . The composition of  claim 25 , comprising a flavoring agent in an amount from about 0.1 to about 10 percent by weight of the total composition. 
     
     
         37 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier is present in an amount from about 30 to about 95 percent by weight of the total composition, the antiparasitic agent is present in an amount from about 0.005 to about 55 percent by weight of the total composition, and the flavoring agent is present in an amount from about 0.5 to about 8 percent by weight of the total composition. 
     
     
         38 . A spray container comprising:
 the composition of  claim 22  wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable carrier comprises ethanol; and   a metered valve.   
     
     
         39 . The spray container of  claim 38 , wherein the spray container is an aerosol spray container. 
     
     
         40 . The spray container of  claim 38 , wherein the spray container is a pump spray container. 
     
     
         41 . The spray container of  claim 38  wherein the composition is propellant-free. 
     
     
         42 . A method of treating or preventing a disorder in an animal comprising transmucosally administering a composition comprising a therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of an antiparasitic agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.