DANTROLENE FORMULATIONS AND METHODS OF THEIR USE

1 . A non-aqueous or anhydrous pharmaceutical composition comprising dantrolene, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, or a mixture thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier comprising a C 1-6 alkyl alcohol, a polyol, a polyether, or a mixture thereof.

2 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , that is a non-aqueous pharmaceutical composition.

3 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , that is an anhydrous pharmaceutical composition.

4 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , having an effective pH of 3 to 11.5, preferably 4 to 9 or 5 to 8, more preferably having an effective pH of 7.4.

5 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , comprising dantrolene.

6 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , comprising dantrolene sodium.

7 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , comprising dantrolene and dantrolene sodium.

8 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is suitable for intravenous administration to a human.

9 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises ethanol, an alkylene glycol, or a liquid polyalkylene glycol, or a mixture thereof.

10 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises ethanol, an alkylene glycol, or a capped liquid polyalkylene glycol, or a mixture thereof.

11 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises ethanol, propylene glycol, or a polyethylene glycol, or a mixture thereof.

12 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises ethanol, propylene glycol, or a capped polyethylene glycol, or a mixture thereof.

13 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises propylene glycol or a polyethylene glycol or a mixture thereof.

14 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises propylene glycol.

15 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , wherein the carrier comprises polyethylene glycol.

16 . The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , further comprising an additional pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

17 . A method of treating a disorder responsive to dantrolene in a subject comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 .

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the disorder is malignant hyperthermia, chronic spasticity, exertional heat stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, tachycardis, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, heart failure, myocardial injury, cardiomyopathy, central core disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, rhabdomyolysis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, ataxia, detrusor overactivity, overactive bladder, seizure, epilepsy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, human stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, ischemia-reperfusion injury, neuronal reperfusion injury, hypoxia, cerebral aneurysm, subarachnoid hemorrhage, stroke, hyperthermia associated with drug abuse, hyperthermia associated with drug overdose, nerve agent exposure, or acetylcholine accumulation.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the administration is intravenous administration.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the administration is intramuscular administration or subcutaneous administration.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the administration is oral administration or intranasal administration.

22 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the administration is intraosseous administration.

23 . A lyophilized pharmaceutical composition comprising dantrolene and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of dantrolene.

24 . The lyophilized pharmaceutical composition of claim 23 , exhibiting an effective pH of 4 to 9 when reconstituted with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier that is a C 1-6 alkyl alcohol, a polyol, a polyether, or a mixture thereof.

25 . A method of treating a disorder responsive to dantrolene in a subject comprising

reconstituting a lyophilized pharmaceutical composition comprising dantrolene and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of dantrolene with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier that is a C 1-6 alkyl alcohol, a polyol, a polyether, or a mixture thereof, to produce a reconstituted solution comprising dantrolene and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of dantrolene having an effective pH of 4 to 9;

diluting the reconstituted solution with an additional pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to produce a diluted reconstituted solution comprising dantrolene and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of dantrolene; and

administering a therapeutically effective amount of the diluted reconstituted solution to the subject.

26 . A method of treating a disorder responsive to dantrolene in a subject comprising

diluting a pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 with an additional pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to produce a diluted pharmaceutical composition comprising dantrolene and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of dantrolene; and

administering a therapeutically effective amount of the diluted pharmaceutical composition to the subject.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the disorder is malignant hyperthermia, chronic spasticity, exertional heat stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, tachycardis, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, heart failure, myocardial injury, cardiomyopathy, central core disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, rhabdomyolysis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, ataxia, detrusor overactivity, overactive bladder, seizure, epilepsy, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, human stress disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, ischemia-reperfusion injury, neuronal reperfusion injury, hypoxia, cerebral aneurysm, subarachnoid hemorrhage, stroke, hyperthermia associated with drug abuse, hyperthermia associated with drug overdose, nerve agent exposure, or acetylcholine accumulation.

28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the administration is intravenous administration.

29 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the administration is intramuscular administration or subcutaneous administration.

30 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the administration is oral administration or intranasal administration.

31 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the administration is intraosseous administration.

32 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable dantrolene salt is dantrolene sodium.