Aripiprazole formulations having increased injection speeds

1. A method of treating depression or bipolar disorder in a subject in need thereof, comprising intramuscularly administering to said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition at a continuous injection rate of 0.3 mL/s to 1 mL/s, wherein said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) 24-30 weight percent of a compound of Formula (I):

wherein n is an integer between 4 and 14;

(b) 0.3-0.4 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) 0.1-0.3 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition;

wherein the pharmaceutical composition has a total injection volume from 1.0 mL to 10 mL; and

wherein the total pharmaceutical composition is continuously injected within 10 seconds at said rate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) about 26.6 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) about 0.37 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) about 0.15 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the administration is instantaneous.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is injected using a 20 to 23 gauge needle.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the needle is a 20 gauge needle.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the needle is a 21 gauge needle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the injection is administered to the subject in the dorsal gluteal muscle.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the injection is administered to the subject in the deltoid muscle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the needle does not experience injection failure due to needle clogging.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not elicit a pain intensity above a normal threshold in the subject.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method does not elicit any injection site reactions in the subject above a normal threshold in the subject.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the symptoms of the injection site reaction are selected from the group consisting of redness, tenderness, warmth, itching, pain at injection site, blistering, nodule formation, and severe skin damage.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the total injection volume of the pharmaceutical composition is approximately 3.2 mL and the total pharmaceutical composition is injected within 10 seconds, or wherein the total injection volume of the pharmaceutical composition is approximately 1.6 mL and the total pharmaceutical composition is injected within 5 seconds.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intramuscular injection rate is selected from the group consisting of: 0.4 mL/s, 0.5 mL/s, 0.6 mL/s, 0.7 mL/s, 0.8 mL/s, and 0.9 mL/s.

15. A kit for the treatment of depression or bipolar disorder, wherein the kit comprises a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition and further comprises instructions for intramuscular injection, wherein the instructions specify a continuous intramuscular injection within 10 seconds, wherein said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) 24-30 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) 0.3-0.4 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) 0.1-0.3 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition;

wherein the pharmaceutical composition has a total injection volume of approximately 3.2 mL.

16. The kit of claim 15 , wherein the said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) about 26.6 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) about 0.37 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) about 0.15 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition.

17. A method of treating depression or bipolar disorder in a subject in need thereof, comprising intramuscularly injecting into said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition, wherein said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) 24-30 weight percent of a compound of Formula (I):

wherein n is an integer between 4 and 14;

(b) 0.3-0.4 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) 0.1-0.3 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition; and

wherein the pharmaceutical composition has a total injection volume of approximately 1.6 mL, and the total pharmaceutical composition is continuously injected within 5 seconds at a rate of 0.3 mL/s to 1 mL/s.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) about 26.6 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) about 0.37 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) about 0.15 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition.

19. A method of treating depression or bipolar disorder in a subject in need thereof, comprising intramuscularly injecting into said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition, wherein said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) 24-30 weight percent of a compound of Formula (I):

wherein n is an integer between 4 and 14;

(b) 0.3-0.4 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) 0.1-0.3 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition; and

wherein the pharmaceutical composition has a total injection volume of approximately 3.2 mL, and the total pharmaceutical composition is continuously injected within 10 seconds at a rate of 0.3 mL/s to 1 mL/s.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) about 26.6 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) about 0.37 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) about 0.15 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition.

21. A method of treating depression or bipolar disorder in a subject in need thereof, comprising intramuscularly injecting into said subject a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition, wherein said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) 24-30 weight percent of a compound of Formula (I):

wherein n is an integer between 4 and 14;

(b) 0.3-0.4 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) 0.1-0.3 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition; and

wherein the pharmaceutical composition has a total injection volume of approximately 2.4 mL, and the total pharmaceutical composition is continuously injected within 8 seconds at a rate of 0.3 mL/s to 1 mL/s.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) about 26.6 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) about 0.37 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) about 0.15 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a total injection volume from 3 mL to 10 mL.

24. The kit of claim 15 , wherein the kit further comprises a container for containing the pharmaceutical composition.

25. The kit of claim 24 , wherein the container is a prefilled syringe.

26. A kit for the treatment of depression or bipolar disorder, wherein the kit comprises a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition and further comprises instructions for intramuscular injection, wherein the instructions specify a continuous intramuscular injection within 10 seconds, wherein said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) 24-30 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) 0.3-0.4 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) 0.1-0.3 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition; and

wherein the pharmaceutical composition has a total injection volume of approximately 2.4 mL.

27. The kit of claim 26 , wherein the said pharmaceutical composition comprises:

(a) about 26.6 weight percent Compound 1:

(b) about 0.37 weight percent sorbitan laurate;

(c) about 0.15 weight percent polysorbate 20; and

(d) an aqueous vehicle;

wherein the percentages of (a), (b), and (c) are relative to the total weight of the composition.

28. The kit of claim 26 , wherein the kit further comprises a container for containing the pharmaceutical composition.

29. The kit of claim 28 , wherein the container is a prefilled syringe.