Methods and therapeutic combinations for the treatment of xanthoma using sterol absorption inhibitors

1. A method of decreasing the incidence of xanthoma in a subject comprising the step of administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a combination of (i) at least one sterol absorption inhibitor, at least one 5α-stanol absorption inhibitor, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate thereof and (ii) at least one HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor as a cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitor, to decrease the incidence of xanthoma in the subject, wherein the at least one sterol or 5α-stanol absorption inhibitor is represented by Formula (I):

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or a solvate thereof, wherein:

Ar 1 and Ar 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of aryl and R 4 -substituted aryl;

Ar 3 is aryl or R 5 -substituted aryl;

X, Y and Z are independently selected from the group consisting of —CH 2 —, —CH(lower alkyl)- and —C(dilower alkyl)-;

R and R 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of —OR 6 , —O(CO)R 6 , —O(CO)OR 9 and —O(CO)NR 6 R 7 ;

R 1 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl and aryl;

q is 0 or 1;

r is 0 or 1;

m, n and p are independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4; provided that at least one of q and r is 1, and the sum of m, n, p, q and r is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6; and provided that when p is 0 and r is 1, the sum of m, q and n is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;

R 4 is 1–5 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, —OR 6 , —O(CO)R 6 , —O(CO)OR 9 , —O(CH 2 ) 1-5 OR 6 , —O(CO)NR 6 R 7 , —NR 6 R 7 , —NR 6 (CO)R 7 , —NR 6 (CO)OR 9 , —NR 6 (CO)NR 7 R 8 , —NR 6 SO 2 R 9 , —COOR 6 , —CONR 6 R 7 , —COR 6 , —SO 2 NR 6 R 7 , S(O) 0-2 R 9 , —O(CH 2 ) 1-10 —COOR 6 , —O(CH 2 ) 1-10 CONR 6 R 7 , -(lower alkylene)COOR 6 , —CH═CH—COOR 6 , —CF 3 , —CN, —NO 2 and halogen;

R 5 is 1–5 substituents independently selected from the group consisting of —OR 6 , —O(CO)R 6 , —O(CO)OR 9 , —O(CH 2 ) 1-5 OR 6 , —O(CO)NR 6 R 7 , —NR 6 R 7 , —NR 6 (CO)R 7 , —NR 6 (CO)OR 9 , —NR 6 (CO)NR 7 R 8 , —NR 6 SO 2 R 9 , —COOR 6 , —CONR 6 R 7 , —COR 6 , —SO 2 NR 6 R 7 , S(O) 0-2 R 9 , —O(CH 2 ) 1-10 —COOR 6 , —O(CH 2 ), 1-10 CONR 6 R 7 , -(lower alkylene)COOR 6 and —CH═CH—COOR 6 ;

R 6 , R 7 and R 8 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl and aryl-substituted lower alkyl; and

R 9 is lower alkyl, aryl or aryl-substituted lower alkyl.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of pravastatin, lovastatin, simvastatin, fluvastatin, rivastatin, rosuvastatin, atorvastatin, cerivastatin, and combinations thereof.