Oil suspension of metronidazole

Abstract

The present invention relates to a palatable oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition consisting of an oil suspension of metronidazole and comprising metronidazole in an edible animal, vegetable or mineral oil and the use thereof for treating diarrhoea in animals, in particular giardiasis, or inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract.

1 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition consisting of an oily metronidazole suspension comprising:
 a) between 5% and 30% by weight/volume of metronidazole; and   b) between 70% and 95% by weight/volume of at least one edible animal, vegetable or mineral oil;   wherein the metronidazole is provided in the form of particles, 90% of which have an equivalent diameter strictly of greater than 6 μm and less than or equal to 300 μm.   
     
     
         17 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , wherein 90% of the metronidazole particles have an equivalent diameter of strictly between 50 and 250 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , wherein 90% of the metronidazole particles have an equivalent diameter of strictly between 90 and 200 μm. 
     
     
         19 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , wherein 90% of the metronidazole particles have an equivalent diameter of strictly between 125 and 200 μm. 
     
     
         20 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the equivalent diameter of the metronidazole particles is measured by laser particle sizing. 
     
     
         21 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the oil is chosen from soybean oil, coconut oil, palm oil, Miglyol®, cod liver oil, paraffin oil or their mixture. 
     
     
         22 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a) between 0.1% and 5% by weight/volume of a viscosifying agent chosen from aluminum mono-, di- or tristearate, hydrophilic colloidal silica (Aerosil 200) or hydrogenated castor oil; and/or   b) between 0.1% and 5% by weight/volume of at least one nonionic surface-active principle.   
     
     
         23 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , further comprising between 0.1% and 15% by weight/volume of a natural or artificial flavoring. 
     
     
         24 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , further comprising between 0.005% and 2% by weight/volume of at least one antioxidant chosen from butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate, ascorbyl palmitate, α-tocopherol or their mixture. 
     
     
         25 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one antioxidant is between 0.1% and 0.5% by weight/volume. 
     
     
         26 . The oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16 , wherein it is packaged in a device which makes possible the dosing thereof. 
     
     
         27 . A method for treating inflammatory diseases of the intestines of domestic animals, the method comprising administering an effective amount of the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16  to the domestic animal. 
     
     
         28 . A method for treating diarrhea in domestic animals, the method comprising administering an effective amount of the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition of  claim 16  to the domestic animal. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the diarrhea is of parasitic or bacterial origin. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the diarrhea of parasitic origin is giardiasis. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the domestic animal is young. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the domestic animal is a dog or a cat. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dose representing a contribution of metronidazole of between 10 and 50 mg/kg of body weight twice daily. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition is administered for 3 to 10 consecutive days. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition is administered for 5 consecutive days. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition is administered at a dose representing a contribution of metronidazole of between 10 and 50 mg/kg of body weight twice daily. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition is administered for 3 to 10 consecutive days. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the oral veterinary pharmaceutical composition is administered for 5 consecutive days.