Treating eczema and/or psoriasis

Abstract

The treatment of humans or other mammals for eczema and/or psoriasis using dosage forms or compositions that include cetyl myristate alone or (in admixture or serially) both cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate.

1 . A method of treatment and/or prophylaxis of a mammal for eczema and/or psoriasis which comprises or includes administering or having self administered to such mammal an effective amount of either 
 (a) cetyl myristate, or    (b) cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate.    
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said administration is orally of (b) whether as a mixture of both cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate, or serially.  
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1  or  2  where the effective amount is of (b).  
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  or  2  wherein said administration is with a mixture of cetyl myristate in conjunction with cetyl palmitate where the cetyl myristate comprises from 50 to 98% w/w of the mixture.  
     
     
         5 . A method of any one of the preceding claims wherein said effective amount of (a) or (b) is by means of one or more capsules.  
     
     
         6 . A method of any one of the preceding claims where said mammal is a human being suffering from eczema and the administration is for treatment purposes.  
     
     
         7 . A method of any one of  claims 1  to  5  wherein said mammal is a human being suffering from psoriasis and the administration is for treatment purposes.  
     
     
         8 . A method of any one of the preceding claims where both cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate in admixture are administered, the ratio by weight to weight being 95:5 respectively.  
     
     
         9 . A method of treatment of a human being for eczema which comprises or includes having administered to that human an effective amount of cetyl myristate.  
     
     
         10 . A method of treatment of a human being for psoriasis which comprises or includes having administered to that human an effective amount of cetyl myristate.  
     
     
         11 . An oral pharmaceutical composition for treating eczema which comprises or includes both cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate.  
     
     
         12 . An oral pharmaceutical composition for treating psoriasis which comprises or includes both cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate.  
     
     
         13 . A composition of  claim 11  or  claim 12  wherein said cetyl myristate comprises at least 50% by weight of the composition.  
     
     
         14 . A composition of any one of  claims 11  to  13  which also includes at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and/or diluent.  
     
     
         15 . An oral dosage unit effective in the treatment of eczema and/or psoriasis, said dosage unit having either 
 (a) cetyl myristate, or    (b) a mixture of cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate.    
     
     
         16 . A dosage unit as claimed in  claim 15  wherein said dosage unit has (b) and said cetyl myristate in any such mixture comprises from 50 to 98% w/w of the mixture.  
     
     
         17 . A dosage unit as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the dosage unit has (a) only and there is between 5 to 400 mg of cetyl myristate.  
     
     
         18 . A dosage unit of  claim 16  wherein there is from 5 to 400 mg of the mixture of cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate.  
     
     
         19 . A dosage unit of any one of  claims 15  to  18  wherein (a) or (b) is in a capsule.  
     
     
         20 . A dosage unit as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said capsule also includes a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and/or diluent.  
     
     
         21 . A dosage unit of  claim 20  which includes silicon dioxide.  
     
     
         22 . A dosage unit of any one of  claims 15  to  21  which also contains calcium phosphate and/or magnesium oxide.  
     
     
         23 . A dosage unit of any one of  claims 15  to  21  which also includes additionally at one trace element.  
     
     
         24 . A liquid composition being also a composition of any one of  claims 12  to  14  or a dosage unit of any one of  claims 15  to  18 .  
     
     
         25 . The use, in the manufacture of oral dosage units for the treatment or prophylaxis of eczema and/or psoriasis in a mammal, of 
 (a) cetyl myristate, or    (b) a mixture of cetyl myristate and cetyl palmitate, or    (c) cetyl palmitate.    
     
     
         26 . The use, in the manufacture of oral dosage units for the treatment or prophylaxis of eczema and/or psoriasis in a mammal, of 
 (i) cetyl myristate and    (ii) cetyl palmitate.    
     
     
         27 . The use of  claim 24  wherein (b) is used.  
     
     
         28 . The use of  claim 26  or  27  wherein the ratio by weight of cetyl myristate to cetyl palmitate is 95:5.  
     
     
         29 . A method of any one of  claims 1  to  10  substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the examples.  
     
     
         30 . A dosage unit of any one of  claims 15  to  23  substantially as hereinbefore described.  
     
     
         31 . A composition of any one of  claims 11  to  14  and  24  substantially as hereinbefore described.  
     
     
         32 . The use of any one of  claims 25  to  27  substantially as hereinbefore described.