METHODS AND UNIT DOSE FORMULATIONS FOR THE INHALATION ADMINISTRATION OF AMINOGLYCOSIDE ANTIBIOTICS
A patient suffering from an endobronchial infection is treated by administering to the patient for inhalation a dose of less than about 4.0 ml of a nebulized aerosol formulation comprising from about 60 to about 200 mg/ml of an aminoglycoside antibiotic, such as tobramycin, in a physiologically acceptable carrier in a time period of less than about 10 minutes. Unit dose devices for storage and delivery of the aminoglycoside antibiotic formulations are also provided.
1 . A method of the treatment of a patient in need of such treatment comprising administering to the patient a dose of 4.0 ml or less of a nebulized aerosol formulation comprising from about 60 to about 200 mg/ml of an aminoglycoside antibiotic in less than 10 minutes.
2 . A method of claim 1 wherein the dose comprises less than about 3.75 ml of the nebulized aerosol formulation.
3 . A method of claim 1 wherein the dose comprises 3.5 ml or less of the nebulized aerosol formulation.
4 . A method of claim 1 wherein the aerosol formulation comprises from about 80 to about 180 mg/ml of the aminoglycoside antibiotic.
5 . A method of claim 1 wherein the aerosol formulation comprises from about 90 to about 150 mg/ml of the aminoglycoside antibiotic.
6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the aminoglycoside antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of gentamycin, amikacin, kanamycin, streptomycin, neomycin, netilmicin and tobramycin.
7 . A method of claim 6 wherein the aminoglycoside antibiotic is tobramycin.
8 . A method of claim 7 wherein the dose comprises 3.5 ml or less of a nebulized aerosol formulation comprising from about 80 to about 180 mg/ml of tobramycin.
9 . A unit dose device, comprising a container containing less than about 4.0 ml of an aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation comprising from about 60 to about 200 mg/ml of an aminoglycoside antibiotic in a physiologically acceptable carrier.
10 . A unit dose device of claim 9 which contains less than about 3.75 ml of the aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation.
11 . A unit dose device of claim 9 which contains 3.5 ml or less of the aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation.
12 . A unit dose device of claim 9 wherein the aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation comprises from about 80 to about 180 mg/ml of the aminoglycoside antibiotic.
13 . A unit dose formulation of claim 9 wherein the aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation comprises from about 90 to about 150 mg/ml of the aminoglycoside antibiotic.
14 . A unit dose formulation of claim 9 wherein the aminoglycoside antibiotic is selected from the group consisting of gentamycin, amikacin, kanamycin, streptomycin, neomycin, netilmicin and tobramycin.
15 . A unit dose formulation of claim 14 wherein the aminoglycoside antibiotic is tobramycin.
16 . A unit dose device of claim 9 which contains less than about 4.0 ml of aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation comprising from about 80 to about 180 mg/ml of tobramycin.
17 . A system for delivering an aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation to a patient in need of such treatment, comprising a unit dose device comprising a container containing less than about 4.0 ml of an aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation comprising from about 60 to about 200 mg/ml of an aminoglycoside antibiotic in a physiologically acceptable carrier, and means for delivering the aminoglycoside antibiotic formulation from the unit dose device for inhalation by the patient in aerosolized form in less that 10 about minutes.