Enhanced compliance antiviral medicaments and methods of manufacture and use
Reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicaments for treating viral infection in a patient suffering therefrom are provided comprising at least 500 mg of antiviral compound in an oral dosage form that can be administered in effective total daily dosages of antiviral compound ranging from 1000 mg to 2000 mg. The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicaments enhance patient compliance with long term, multi-dose treatment regimens by reducing physiological and psychological side effects that can cause reductions or discontinuations of antiviral therapy. Exemplary antiviral compounds include nucleoside analogues such as ribavirin, levovirin, and viramindine which are effective when combined with interferon to treat acute or chronic viral infections including hepatitis, and particularly hepatitis C. Associated methods for the production and use of the medicaments also are provided.
1 . A reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament for treating a viral infection in a patient suffering therefrom comprising at least 500 mg of antiviral compound in an oral dosage form.
2 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 1 wherein said antiviral compound is ribavirin.
3 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 1 wherein said viral infection is hepatitis.
4 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 3 wherein said hepatitis is hepatitis C.
5 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 1 wherein said oral dosage form is a capsule.
6 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 1 wherein said oral dosage form is a tablet.
7 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 1 wherein said oral dosage form includes a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.
8 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 1 wherein said oral dosage form includes at least 600 mg or said antiviral compound.
9 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 8 wherein said antiviral compound is ribavirin.
10 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 9 wherein said oral dosage form is a capsule.
11 . The reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament of claim 9 wherein said oral dosage form is a tablet.
12 . A method of enhancing a virus infected patient's compliance with long term, multi-dose antiviral therapy by reducing gastric distress associated therewith, said method comprising the steps of:
providing the medicament of claim 1 having at least 500 mg of antiviral compound in an oral dosage form; and
administering an effective total daily dosage of said medicament to said patient for a predetermined period of time.
13 . The method of claim 12 wherein said antiviral compound is ribavirin.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein said effective total daily dosage ranges from 1000 mg to 2000 mg of ribavirin.
15 . The method of claim 12 wherein said predetermined period of time ranges from six to eighteen months.
16 . The method of claim 12 further including the additional step of administering an effective weekly dosage of interferon.
17 . The method of claim 12 wherein said virus is HCV.
18 . A method of manufacturing a reduced gastrointestinal side effect medicament for the treatment of a viral infection in an individual suffering therefrom, said method comprising the step of:
packing at least 500 mg of an antiviral compound in an oral dosage form.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein said oral dosage form is a capsule.
20 . The method of claim 18 wherein said oral dosage form is a tablet.
21 . The method of claim 18 wherein said antiviral compound is ribavirin.