Delivery of caffeine through an inhalation route
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to the delivery of caffeine through an inhalation route. Specifically, it relates to aerosols containing caffeine that are used in inhalation therapy. In a composition aspect of the present invention, the aerosol comprises particles comprising at least 5 percent by weight of caffeine. In a method aspect of the present invention, caffeine is delivered to a mammal through an inhalation route. The method comprises: a) heating a composition, wherein the composition comprises at least 5 percent by weight of caffeine, to form a vapor; and, b) allowing the vapor to cool, thereby forming a condensation aerosol comprising particles, which is inhaled by the mammal. In a kit aspect of the present invention, a kit for delivering caffeine through an inhalation route to a mammal is provided which comprises: a) a composition comprising at least 5 percent by weight of caffeine; and, b) a device that forms a caffeine containing aerosol from the composition, for inhalation by the mammal.
1. A composition for delivery of caffeine, comprising a condensation aerosol,
a) formed by volatilizing caffeine under conditions effective to produce a heated vapor of caffeine and condensing the heated vapor of caffeine to form condensation aerosol particles,
b) wherein the particles are characterized by less than 5% caffeine degradation products, and
c) the aerosol has an MMAD of less than 3 μm.
2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise at least 95 percent by weight of caffeine.
3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise at least 97 percent by weight of caffeine.
4. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the particles are characterized by less than 2.5 percent by weight of caffeine degradation products.
5. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the aerosol has an inhalable aerosol drug mass density of between 3 mg/L and 30 mg/l.
6. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the aerosol has an inhalable aerosol particle density of greater than 10 8 particles/mL.
7. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the aerosol has an MMAD of less than 2.
8. A method of producing caffeine in an aerosol form comprising:
a. volatilizing caffeine under conditions effective to produce a heated vapor of the caffeine and
b. during said volatilizing, passing air through the heated vapor to produce aerosol particles of caffeine comprising less than 5% caffeine degradation products: and
c. an aerosol having an MMAD of less than 3 μm.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the aerosol particles comprise at least 95 percent by weight of caffeine.
10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the aerosol particles comprise at least 97 percent by weight of caffeine.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the aerosol particles comprise less than 1 percent by weight of caffeine degradation products.
12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the aerosol particles are formed at a rate of greater than 0.5 mg/sec.
13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said volatilizing includes heating caffeine on a solid support having the surface texture of a metal foil, to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the caffeine.
14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the aerosol particles comprise less than 2.5 percent by weight of caffeine degradation products.