Granted Patent B2

US 12,551,446 · App. 18/214,060 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Inventors: Philippe Bussat (Pers-Jussy, FR); Anne Lassus (Veyrier, CH); Jean Brochot (Cruseilles, FR); Michel Schneider (Troinex, CH); Feng Yan (Grand Lancy, CH)

Assignee: Bracco Suisse SA

A61K9/19A61K9/1271A61K9/1277A61K49/223

Abstract

Claims (12)

1 . A freeze-dried product obtained according to a method comprising:

a. preparing a liquid mixture comprising (i) an amphiphilic material comprising 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy (polyethylene glycol)-5000] (DPPE-PEG5000), and palmitic acid; and (ii) a polyethylene glycol as freeze-drying protecting component in a solvent;

b. sampling said liquid mixture into a glass vial;

c. freeze-drying the liquid mixture to remove said solvent and obtain a freeze-dried product; and

d. after completion of the freeze-drying of step c, saturating a headspace of said vial with a gas comprising C 4 F 10 ; and heating said freeze-dried product at ambient pressure at a temperature higher than 35° C. and lower than the melting point of the polyethylene glycol freeze-drying protecting component, for a period of time of from eight to twenty hours, wherein the freeze-dried product of step c has not been reconstituted prior to step d, and wherein the freeze-dried product is suitable for the preparation of a suspension of stabilized gas-filled microbubbles.

2 . The freeze-dried product according to claim 1 wherein the glass vial is stoppered and sealed after saturating the headspace of said vial with said gas comprising C 4 F 10 .

3 . The freeze-dried product according to claim 1 wherein the liquid mixture further comprises a targeting lipopeptide.

4 . A method of ultrasound therapeutic treatment of a patient in need thereof which comprises:

(i) reconstituting the freeze-dried product according to claim 1 with a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid carrier in the presence of said gas comprising C 4 F 10 under gentle agitation to obtain a suspension of gas-filled microvesicles;

(ii) administering to the patient the suspension of gas-filled microvesicles; and

(iii) applying an ultrasound beam to a region of interest in the patient, wherein the region of interest comprises the gas-filled microvesicles.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising administering a therapeutic agent to the patient.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (6)

References Cited (37)