Transdermal therapeutic system containing asenapine

1. A transdermal therapeutic system for the transdermal administration of asenapine comprising a self-adhesive layer structure containing a therapeutically effective amount of asenapine, said self-adhesive layer structure comprising:

A) a backing layer;

B) an asenapine-containing matrix layer consisting of a matrix layer composition comprising:

a) asenapine;

b) a polymer selected from acrylic polymers;

c) an additional polymer; and

d) α-tocopherol in an amount of from 0.01 to 2% of the matrix layer composition, and ascorbyl palmitate in an amount of at least 0.01% of the matrix layer composition as stabilizers.

2. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition further comprises a detectable amount of sodium metabisulfite to 0.5% sodium metabisulfite, from 0.01 to 0.2% sodium metabisulfite, from 0.05 to 0.15% sodium metabisulfite, or about 0.1% sodium metabisulfite.

3. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition comprises at least 0.025% α-tocopherol, up to 1.5% α-tocopherol, up to 0.75% α-tocopherol, up to 0.5% α-tocopherol, up to 0.1% α-tocopherol, or about 0.05% α-tocopherol.

4. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition comprises at least 0.02% ascorbyl palmitate, at least 0.08% ascorbyl palmitate, at least 0.15% ascorbyl palmitate, a detectable amount of ascorbyl palmitate up to 2.0% ascorbyl palmitate, a detectable amount of ascorbyl palmitate up to 1.0% ascorbyl palmitate, a detectable amount of ascorbyl palmitate up to 0.6% ascorbyl palmitate, or from 0.2 to 0.4% ascorbyl palmitate.

5. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the additional polymer is a polyvinylpyrrolidone.

6. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 5 , wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone is a soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone, and wherein the matrix layer composition comprises the soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone in a detectable amount up to 20%, from 5 to 15%, or about 10% soluble polyvinylpyrrolidone by weight.

7. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the transdermal therapeutic system contains at least 0.70 mg/cm 2 asenapine, at least 0.80 mg/cm 2 asenapine, at least 0.82 mg/cm 2 asenapine, or at least 0.83 mg/cm 2 asenapine.

8. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the asenapine in the matrix layer composition is included in the form of asenapine free base.

9. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition comprises from 2 to 20 asenapine by weight, from 3 to 15% asenapine by weight, or from 4 to 12% asenapine by weight.

10. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from pressure-sensitive adhesive polymers, and acrylic polymers comprising hydroxyl groups and no carboxylic acid groups.

11. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition comprises from 50 to 90% polymer by weight, from 60 to 85% polymer by weight, or from 65 to 80% polymer by weight.

12. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition comprises a tackifier, and wherein the tackifier is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycols, triglycerides, dipropylene glycol, resins, resin esters, terpenes and derivatives thereof, ethylene vinyl acetate adhesives, dimethylpolysiloxanes, polybutenes, medium chain triglycerides, and mixtures thereof.

13. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 12 , wherein the tackifier is medium chain triglycerides, and

wherein the matrix layer composition comprises the medium chain triglycerides in an amount of from 0.1 to 14%, from 1 to 13%, from 3 to 12%, from 5 to 12%, or of about 10% medium chain triglycerides by weight.

14. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the transdermal therapeutic system provides a skin permeation rate of asenapine as measured in a Franz diffusion cell with dermatomed human skin of

0 μg/(cm 2 h) to 10 μg/(cm 2 h) in the first 8 hours,

2 μg/(cm 2 h) to 20 μg/(cm 2 h) from hour 8 to hour 24,

3 μg/(cm 2 h) to 20 μg/(cm 2 h) from hour 24 to hour 32,

3 μg/(cm 2 h) to 20 μg/(cm 2 h) from hour 32 to hour 48, and

2 μg/(cm 2 h) to 15 μg/(cm 2 h) from hour 48 to hour 72.

15. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition contains an initial amount of asenapine, and wherein the asenapine-containing matrix layer has an asenapine content selected from the group consisting of:

at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, or at least 98% to of the initial amount of asenapine after manufacture of the asenapine-containing matrix layer;

at least 90%, at least 92%, at least 94%, or at least 95% of the initial amount of asenapine after having been stored at 25° C. and 60% relative humidity for at least 2 months;

at least 88%, at least 90%, at least 91%, or at least 92% of the initial amount of asenapine after having been stored at 40° C. and 75% relative humidity for at least 2 months;

and combinations thereof.

16. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix layer composition contains a total amount of asenapine-related degradation substances selected from:

less than 0.7%, less than 0.5%, less than 0.3% or less than 0.2% shortly after manufacture, and

less than 1.0%, less than 0.7%, less than 0.5%, or less than 0.4% after having been stored at 25° C. and 60% relative humidity for at least 2 months.

17. A method of treating one or more conditions selected from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, dementia related psychosis, agitation and manic disorder, and acute manic or mixed episodes of bipolar disorder in a human patient,

the method comprising applying the transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 to the skin of a patient in need thereof.

18. A process of manufacturing the asenapine-containing matrix layer of claim 1 , the process comprising the steps of:

a) combining at least asenapine, an acrylic polymer, an additional polymer, α-tocopherol, and ascorbyl palmitate, in a solvent to obtain a coating composition;

b) coating the coating composition onto a backing layer or a release liner, or an intermediate liner; and

c) drying the coated coating composition to form the asenapine-containing matrix layer.

19. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is a copolymer based on vinyl acetate, 2-ethylhexyl-acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl-acrylate, and glycidyl-methacrylate or a copolymer based on vinyl acetate, 2-ethylhexyl-acrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl-acrylate.

20. The transdermal therapeutic system according to claim 19 , wherein the polymer is cross-linked by an aluminium or a titanium cross-linking agent.