Combination of formoterol and mometasone furoate for asthma

Abstract

A medicament containing, separately or together, (A) formoterol or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or a solvate of formoterol or a solvate of the salt and (B) mometasone furoate, for simultaneous, sequential or separate administration in the treatment of an inflammatory or obstructive airways disease.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A medicament containing, separately or together, (A) formoterol or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or a solvate of formoterol or a solvate of said salt and (B) mometasone furoate, for simultaneous, sequential or separate administration in the treatment of an inflammatory or obstructive airways disease.  
     
     
         2 . A medicament according to  claim 1  which is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a mixture of effective amounts of (A) and (B), optionally together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         3 . A medicament according to  claim 1 , in which (A) is formoterol fumarate dihydrate.  
     
     
         4 . A medicament according to  claim 2 , in which (A) is formoterol fumarate dihydrate.  
     
     
         5 . A medicament according to  claim 1 , which is an inhalable aerosol comprising a mixture of (A) and (B) in solution or dispersion in a propellant, or a combination of an aerosol containing (A) in solution or dispersion in a propellant with an aerosol containing (B) in solution or dispersion in a propellant.  
     
     
         6 . A medicament according to  claim 5 , in which (A) or (B), or (A) and (B), are in dispersion in the propellant, which is a halogen-substituted hydrocarbon.  
     
     
         7 . A medicament according to  claim 6 , in which (A) or (B), or each of (A) and (B), has an average particle diameter of up to 10 μm.  
     
     
         8 . A medicament according to  claim 1 , which is an inhalable nebulizable composition comprising a dispersion of (A) and (B) in an aqueous, organic or aqueous/organic medium or a combination of a dispersion of (A) in said medium with a dispersion of (B) in said medium.  
     
     
         9 . A medicament according to  claim 1 , which is an inhalable dry powder comprising finely divided (A) or (B), or finely divided (A) and (B), optionally together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in finely divided form.  
     
     
         10 . A medicament according to  claim 9 , in which the carrier is present and is a saccharide.  
     
     
         11 . A medicament according to  claim 10 , in which the carrier is lactose.  
     
     
         12 . A medicament according to  claim 9 , in which (A) or (B), or each of (A) and (B), has an average particle diameter up to 10 μm.  
     
     
         13 . A medicament according to  claim 1 , in which the weight ratio of (A) to (B) is from 2:1 to 1:2000.  
     
     
         14 . A medicament according to  claim 13 , in which said ratio is from 1:10 to 1:25.  
     
     
         15 . A medicament according to  claim 2 , in which the weight ratio of (A) to (B) is from 1:10 to 1:25.  
     
     
         16 . A medicament according to  claim 2 , which is a dry powder in a capsule, the capsule containing from 3 to 36 μg of (A) as formoterol fumarate dihydrate, from 25 μg to 800 μg of (B) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier in an amount to bring the total weight of dry powder per capsule to between 5 mg and 50 mg.  
     
     
         17 . A medicament according to  claim 2 , which is a dry powder comprising, by weight, from 3 to 36 parts of (A) as formoterol fumarate dihydrate, from 25 to 800 parts of (B) and 2164 to 24972 parts of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         18 . A method of treating an inflammatory or obstructive airways disease which comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment effective amounts of (A) as defined in  claim 1  and (B) as defined in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         19 . A method of treating an inflammatory or obstructive airways disease which comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment an effective amount of a medicament according to  claim 2 .  
     
     
         20 . A pharmaceutical kit comprising (A) as defined in  claim 1  and (B) as defined in  claim 1  in separate unit dosage forms, said forms being suitable for administration of (A) and (B) in effective amounts, together with one or more inhalation devices for administration of (A) and (B).