Method of administering a bisphosphonate

Abstract

A method of intravenously administering a bisphosphonate to a patient in need of bisphosphonate treatment comprising intravenously administering 4 mg of 2-(imidazol-1yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid (zoledronic acid) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof over a period of 15 minutes to a patient in need of said treatment.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A method of administering 2-(imidazol-1yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid to a patient in need of bisphosphonate treatment comprising intravenously administering 4 mg of 2-(imidazol-1yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof over a period of 15 minutes to a patient in need of said treatment.  
     
     
         2 . A method of treatment of bone metabolism diseases, said method comprising intravenously administering 4 mg of 2-(imidazol-1yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof over a period of 15 minutes to a patient in need of said treatment.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein said bone metabolism disease is tumour induced hypercalcemia.  
     
     
         4 . A method of treatment of bone metastases, said method comprising intravenously administering 4 mg of 2-(imidazol-1yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof over a period of 15 minutes to a patient in need of said treatment.  
     
     
         5 . A method of treatment of multiple myeloma, said method comprising intravenously administering 4 mg of 2-(imidazol-1yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof over a period of 15 minutes to a patient in need of said treatment.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said 4 mg of 2-(imidazol-1yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered in an infusion solution volume of from about 5 up to about 200 ml.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6  wherein said infusion volume is from about 50 to about 100 ml.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6  wherein said infusion volume is about 100 ml.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the 2-(imidazol-1 yl)-1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid is in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt having one acidic hydrogen and one pharmaceutically acceptable cation in each of the phosphonic acid groups.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9  wherein said pharmaceutically acceptable cation is sodium.