Sustained release pharmaceutical composition

1. A method for maintaining an effective plasma concentration of tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in an individual while reducing postural hypotension, said method comprising:

orally administering a pharmaceutical composition containing tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a carrier for a sustained-release pharmaceutical composition, wherein said composition is a member selected from the group consisting of; (B) a preparation of an osmotic pump formulation comprising a two-layered compressed core containing tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof containing a poly(alkylene oxide) polymer with a number average molecular weight of 100,000 to 750,000 and a push layer containing a poly(alkylene oxide) polymer with a number average molecular weight of 1,000,000 to 15,000,000 coated with a semipermeable membrane containing a member selected from the group consisting of a cellulose ester, a cellulose ether and a cellulose ester-ether;

(C) a gel preparation in which a plurality of gums are combined comprising a hetero polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum and a xanthan gum derivative selected from a deacylated xanthan gum, a carboxymethyl ether and propylene glycol ester and a homo polysaccharide gum, which is locust bean, a water-soluble cationic cross-linking agent, an inert diluent, and ethyl cellulose; (D) a multi-layered tablet preparation comprising 3 layers,

i) a first layer comprising a mixture or granules containing 5 to 90 w/w % of a water-soluble polymer in the first layer and having a property of being swollen by contact to environmental fluids and ethyl cellulose;

ii) a second layer comprising a water-soluble polymer of hydroxymethylcellulose, auxiliary substances of microcrystalline cellulose and polyvinylpyrrolidone and containing tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof which is adjacent to the first layer and,

iii) a third layer being adhered to the second layer which comprises ethyl cellulose and a water-soluble polymer which is gelled and/or swollen followed by free disintegration, wherein said water-soluble polymer in the first, second and third layers can be the same or different and is a member selected from the group consisting of hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose; and

wherein even for 8 to 24 hours after administering, said composition selected from the group consisting of B, C, and D, still releases tamsulosin to be absorbed in vivo; and

maintaining an effective plasma concentration of tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, said effective plasma concentration indicated by a ratio (C min /C max ratio) of the plasma tamsulosin concentration at 24 hours after the administration of the preparation per os (C min ) to the maximum plasma tamsulosin concentration after the administration (C max ) being about 0.4 to less than about 1 in said individual to reduce postural hypotension.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a value of C min normalized by the dose of tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is more than about 10×10 −6 mL −1 .

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein C min is about 4 ng/mL or more.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a value of C max normalized by the dose of tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is about 40×10 −6 mL −1 or less.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a value of C max normalized by the dose of tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is about 30×10 −6 mL −1 or less.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a value of C max is about 20 ng/mL or less.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein its adverse event profiles are not significantly different from those of placebo.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, when it is administered before ingestion of food or after ingestion of food, there is no significant difference in pharmacokinetic parameters obtained from plasma tamsulosin concentration profiles.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein tamsulosin hydrochloride is given at 0.1 to 2 mg per day.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein tamsulosin hydrochloride is given at 0.4 to 0.8 mg per day.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is tamsulosin hydrochloride.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said formulation is said preparation of an osmotic pump formulation comprising a two-layered compressed core containing tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof containing a poly(alkylene oxide) polymer with a number average molecular weight of 100,000 to 750,000 and a push layer containing a poly(alkylene oxide) polymer with a number average molecular weight of 1,000,000 to 15,000,000 coated with a semipermeable membrane containing a member selected from the group consisting of a cellulose ester, a cellulose ether and a cellulose ester-ether.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said formulation is said gel preparation in which a plurality of gums are combined comprising a hetero polysaccharide gum selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum and a xanthan gum derivative selected from a deacylated xanthan gum, a carboxymethyl ether and propylene glycol ester and a homo polysaccharide gum, which is locust bean, a water-soluble cationic cross-linking agent, an inert diluent, and ethyl cellulose.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said formulation is said multi-layered tablet preparation comprising 3 layers,

i) a first layer comprising a mixture or granules containing 5 to 90 w/w % of a water-soluble polymer in the first layer and having a property of being swollen by contact to environmental fluids and ethyl cellulose;

ii) a second layer comprising a water-soluble polymer of hydroxymethylcellulose, auxiliary substances of microcrystalline cellulose and polyvinylpyrrolidone and containing tamsulosin or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof which is adjacent to the first layer and,

iii) a third layer being adhered to the second layer which comprises ethyl cellulose and a water-soluble polymer which is gelled and/or swollen followed by free disintegration, wherein said water-soluble polymer in the first, second and third layers can be the same or different and is a member selected from the group consisting of hydroxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose.