Crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate and its pharmaceutical uses

1. A crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt, characterized by:

(a) an XRPD pattern having at least three peaks selected from the peaks at 7.9, 11.4, 12.5, 13.9, 14.9, 20.8 and 21.5±0.5°2θ, wherein

(i) the XRPD pattern has peaks at 11.4 and 14.9±0.2°2θ, wherein the peak at 11.4±0.2°2θ is at least one and a half times as intense as the peak at 14.9±0.2°2θ; or

(ii) the XRPD pattern has peaks at 11.4 and 21.5±0.2°2θ, wherein the peak at 11.4±0.2°2θ is at least three times as intense as the peak at 21.5±0.2°2θ;

(b) an XRPD pattern substantially similar to FIG. 1 ;

(c) a P2 1 space group at a temperature of about 100 K;

(d) unit cell dimensions of a=7.1433(4) Å, b=10.7328(5) Å, c=10.7485(8) Å, α=90.00°, β=93.902(6)°, and γ=90.00° at a temperature of about 100 K; or

(e) a combination thereof.

2. The crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt of claim 1 , characterized by an XRPD pattern having at least three peaks selected from the peaks at 7.9, 11.4, 12.5, 13.9, 14.9, 20.8 and 21.5±0.2°2θ.

3. The crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt of claim 1 , characterized either by:

(i) an XRPD pattern having peaks at 11.4 and 14.9±0.2°2θ, wherein the peak at 11.4 ±0.2°2θ is at least one and a half times as intense as the peak at 14.9±0.2°2θ; or

(ii) an XRPD pattern having peaks at 11.4 and 21.5±0.2°2θ, wherein the peak at 11.4 ±0.2°2θ is at least three times as intense as the peak at 21.5±0.2°2θ.

4. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt as defined in claim 1 , and a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent or carrier.

5. A method of treating a human or animal patient, wherein said method comprises administration of a therapeutically effective amount of a crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt according to claim 1 , or a pharmaceutical composition according to claim 4 , to a human or animal patient for treating a condition or disease requiring reduced metabolism of an organ or the whole body of a patient.

6. A process for making the crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt of claim 1 , which comprises reacting ammonium tetrathiomolybdate with excess diethylamine, optionally wherein the ammonium tetrathiomolybdate is produced from the reaction of (NH 4 ) 6 Mo 7 O 24 ·4H 2 O with ammonium sulfide.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the condition requiring reduced metabolism of an organ or the whole body of a patient is myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, severe haemorrhage or reperfusion injury.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the condition to be treated is an acute condition.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt is administered to the patient dissolved in water or another physiologically acceptable aqueous media.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt or pharmaceutical composition is administered: (i) by bolus; (ii) by continuous infusion; or by a combination of (i) and (ii).

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt or pharmaceutical composition is administered to the patient one or more times per day.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt or pharmaceutical composition is administered intravenously.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein a single administration of the crystalline diethylamine tetrathiomolybdate salt or pharmaceutical composition comprises from 0.1 to 10 mg DEA-TTM/kg body weight of the patient.

14. The method of claim 5 , wherein a bolus comprising from 0.1 to 10 mg DEA-TTM/kg body weight of the patient is administered to the patient, and subsequently a continuous infusion comprising from 0.1 to 10 mg DEA-TTM/kg body weight of the patient is administered to the patient over a period of from 2 to 45 minutes.