NOVEL CRYSTALLINE BEPOTASTINE METAL SALT HYDRATE, METHOD FOR PREPARING SAME, AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION COMPRISING SAME

1 . A crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate of formula (I):

wherein, M is calcium or strontium.

2 . The crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate of claim 1 , wherein M is calcium.

3 . The crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate of claim 2 , whose X-ray powder diffraction spectrum shows peaks having a 100×I/I o value of at least 15% (I is the intensity of each peak; I o is the intensity of the highest peak) at diffraction angles (2θ+0.2) of 12.3, 14.2, 14.7, 15.1, 16.5, 17.0, 18.7, 19.1, 20.6, 22.8, 23.8, 24.2, 25.5, 28.6 and 31.8.

4 . The crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate of claim 1 , wherein M is strontium.

5 . The crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate of claim 4 , whose X-ray powder diffraction spectrum shows peaks having a 100×I/I o value of at least 15% at diffraction angles (2θ+0.2) of 4.8, 6.2, 7.3, 8.4, 9.5, 10.6, 12.2, 12.5, 13.3, 14.1, 14.3, 14.6, 16.5, 16.9, 18.7, 19.1, 20.2, 21.3, 22.2, 23.0, 23.9, 25.0, 25.5, 27.5, 29.7 and 31.8.

6 . A method for preparing the crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate of claim 1 , which comprises

(i) (a) subjecting bepotastine to a reaction with calcium hydroxide or strontium hydroxide in an solvent, or (b) bring bepotastine in contact with a base selected from sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonia and an organic amine in an solvent to obtain a corresponding bepotastine salt, followed by reacting said bepotastine salt with a reactive calcium or strontium salt;

(ii) inducing precipitation of crystals; and

(iii) recovering the precipitated crystals,

wherein the solvent used in step (a) or (b) is water or a mixture of water and at least one organic solvent selected from methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, acetonitrile and acetone.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the amount of said calcium hydroxide or strontium hydroxide employed in step (a) is in the range of 0.5 to 0.75 mole equivalent based on the mole of bepotastine employed.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the amount of said base employed in step (b) is in the range of 1.0 to 1.4 mole equivalent based on the mole of bepotastine employed.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the amount of said reactive calcium or strontium salt employed in step (b) is in the range of 0.5 to 0.75 mole equivalent based on the mole of base employed.

10 . A pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing a histamine-mediated disease or an allergic disease, comprising the crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate of claim 1 as an active ingredient and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

11 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 10 , wherein said disease is allergic rhinitis, urticaria, pruritus, nasal obstruction, dermatitis or eczema.

12 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 10 , which is one selected from oral, nasal and ocular dosage forms.

13 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 12 , which is oral dosage form.

14 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 13 , wherein said crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate is present in an amount ranging from 0.1 to 95% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.

15 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 14 , wherein the amount of said crystalline bepotastine metal salt hydrate is in the range of 1 to 70% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.