Method of treating pain utilizing controlled release oxymorphone pharmaceutical compositions and instruction on dosing for renal impairment

1. A method of treating pain in a renally impaired patient with a creatinine clearance rate being less than about 80 mL/min, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the patient with a therapeutically effective amount of an oral dosage form of a pharmaceutical composition comprising from about 5 mg to about 80 mg of oxymorphone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a controlled release matrix;

(b) informing the patient or the patient's prescribing physician that the bioavailability of oxymorphone is increased in patients with renal impairment;

(c) orally administering the composition to the patient in a dose of oxymorphone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof that is less than the dose administered to a comparable patient without renal impairment wherein the dose depends on the creatinine clearance rate of the patient; and

(d) measuring the ratio of Cmax of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment wherein the Cmax in the renally impaired patient is about 0.94 to about 2.65 ng/mL after said administration,

wherein log transformed AUC of oxymorphone is about 1.05 to about 2.45 times greater than log transformed AUC of a healthy patient if a healthy patient were to be administered the same dose.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of AUC of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment is about 0.86 to about 2.42 ng*hr/ml when administered equal doses.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient has mild renal impairment and the ratio of Cmax of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment is about 0.94 to about 2.03 ng/mL when administered equal doses.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the patient has mild renal impairment and the ratio of AUC of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment is about 0.86 to about 1.84 ng*hr/ml when administered equal doses.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient has moderate renal impairment and the ratio of Cmax of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment is about 1.12 to about 2.43 ng/mL when administered equal doses.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the patient has moderate renal impairment and the ratio of AUC of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment is about 1.07 to about 2.31 ng*hr/ml when administered equal doses.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient has severe renal impairment and the ratio of Cmax of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment is about 1.23 to about 2.65 ng/mL when administered equal doses.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the patient has severe renal impairment and the ratio of AUC of oxymorphone or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in the renally impaired patient to a comparable patient without renal impairment is about 1.13 to about 2.42 when administered equal doses.