PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOUNDS
This application describes methods of treatment and/or prophylaxis of asthma that involve administration of dihydrotetrabenazine, and isomers and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
1 . A method for the prophylaxis or treatment of asthma in a patient, which method comprises administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of a 3,11b cis-dihydrotetrabenazine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, to thereby treat asthma.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the asthma is of any one or more of asthma types selected from the group consisting of allergic asthma, non-allergic asthma, late onset asthma, early-onset asthma, exercise-induced asthma, nocturnal asthma, cough variant asthma, work-related asthma, work aggravated asthma, occupational asthma, asthma induced by large molecular weight compounds, IgE-dependent asthma, asthma induced by low molecular weight compounds, IgE-independent asthma, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome, and inner city or urban asthma.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the asthma is allergic asthma or exercise-induced asthma.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is a 2S,3S,11bR isomer of 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine having the formula (Ia):
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is a 2R,3R,11bS isomer of 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine having the formula (Ib):
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is a 2R,3S,11bR isomer of 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine having the formula (Ic):
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is a 2S,3R,11bS isomer of 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine having the formula (Id):
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine is a free base.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable salt of 3,11b-cis-dihydrotetrabenazine is an acid addition salt.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the salt is a methane sulphonate salt.