PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION COMPRISING ONE OR MORE FUMARIC ACID ESTERS

1 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising as an active substance one or more fumaric acid esters selected from di-(C 1 -C 5 )alkylesters of fumaric acid and mono-(C 1 -C 5 )alkylesters of fumaric acid, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the release of the fumaric acid ester, when subjected to an in vitro dissolution test employing 0.1 N hydrochloric acid as dissolution medium during the first 2 hours of the test and then 0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 6.8 as dissolution medium, is as follows:

within the first 2 hours after start of the test from about 0% w/w to about 60% w/w of the fumaric ester contained in the formulation is released, and/or

within the first 3 hours after start of the test about 75% to about 95% of the total amount of the fumaric acid ester contained in the formulation is released.

2 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the release of the fumaric acid ester, when subjected to an in vitro dissolution test employing 0.1 N hydrochloric acid as dissolution medium during the first 2 hours of the test and then 0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 6.8 as dissolution medium, is as follows:

within the first 4 hours after start of the test about 92% to about 100% of the total amount of the fumaric acid ester contained in the formulation is released.

3 . The composition according to claim 2 , wherein the release of the fumaric acid ester, when subjected to an in vitro dissolution test employing 0.1 N hydrochloric acid as dissolution medium during the first 2 hours of the test and then 0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 6.8 as dissolution medium, is as follows:

within the first 5 hours after start of the test about 94% to about 100% of the total amount of the fumaric acid ester contained in the formulation is released.

4 . The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the release of the fumaric acid ester, when subjected to an in vitro dissolution test employing 0.1 N hydrochloric acid as dissolution medium during the first 2 hours of the test and then 0.05 M phosphate buffer pH 6.8 as dissolution medium, is as follows:

within the first 6 hours after start of the test about 95% to about 100% of the total amount of the fumaric acid ester contained in the formulation is released.

5 . The composition according to claim 4 , wherein the release has zero order, first order or square-root (Higuchi's) kinetics release profile.

6 . The composition according to claim 5 comprising as an active substance from 30-60% by weight of one or more fumaric acid esters selected from di-(C 1 -C 5 )alkylesters of fumaric acid and mono-(C 1 -C 5 )alkylesters of fumaric acid, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and from 3-40% by weight of one or more rate-controlling agents.

7 . The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the rate-controlling agent is a cellulose polymer or a cellulose derivative or a mixture thereof.

8 . The composition according to claim 7 , wherein the rate-controlling agent is one or more selected from the group consisting of hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose and mixtures thereof.

9 . The composition according to claim 8 wherein the rate-controlling agent is hydroxypropyl cellulose.

10 . The composition according to claim 6 in the form of a tablet.

11 . The composition according to claim 6 having one or more coatings.

12 . The composition according to claim 11 , wherein said coatings are film coatings and/or enteric coatings.

13 . The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the fumaric acid ester is selected from the group consisting of dimethylfumarate, diethylfumarate, dipropylfumarate, dibutylfumarate, dipentylfumarate, methyl-ethyl-fumarate, methyl-propylfumarate, methyl-butylfumarate, methyl-pentylfumarate, monomethylfumarate, monoethylfumarate, monopropylfumarate, monobutylfumarate, and monopentylfumarate, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

14 . The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the fumaric acid ester is a mono-(C 1 -C 5 )alkylester of fumaric acid that is present in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt.

15 . The controlled release pharmaceutical composition according to claim 13 comprising dimethylfumarate as the active substance.

16 . The controlled release pharmaceutical composition according to claim 13 comprising monomethylfumarate or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as the active substance.

17 . The composition according claim 13 for administration once, twice or three times daily.

18 . A method of treating a subject in need thereof comprising administering to said subject an effective dosage of the composition according to claim 13 .

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the subject has psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, neurodermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, polyarthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Grave's disease, SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), Sjögren's syndrome, Pernicious anemia, Chronic active (lupoid) hepatitis, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus nephritis, myasthenia gravis, uveitis, refractory uveitis, vernal conjunctivitis, pemphigus vulgaris, scleroderma, optic neuritis, pain such as radicular pain, pain associated with radiculopathy, neuropathic pain or sciatica/sciatic pain, organ transplantation (prevention of rejection), sarcoidosis, necrobiosis lipoidica or granuloma annulare.

20 . A use of a pharmaceutical composition according to claim 13 for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, neurodermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, polyarthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Grave's disease, SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus), Sjögren's syndrome, Pernicious anemia, Chronic active (lupoid) hepatitis, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus nephritis, myasthenia gravis, uveitis, refractory uveitis, vernal conjunctivitis, pemphigus vulgaris, scleroderma, optic neuritis, pain such as radicular pain, pain associated with radiculopathy, neuropathic pain or sciatica/sciatic pain, organ transplantation (prevention of rejection), sarcoidosis, necrobiosis lipoidica or granuloma annulare.