Booster for therapy of diseases with ultrasound and pharmaceutical liquid composition containing the same

Abstract

A booster comprising a plurality of microbubbles of a gas in a liquid, e.g. about 4×10 7 cells/ml of microbubbles of a gas having a diameter of 0.1 to 100 μm in a 3 to 5% human serum albumin solution, and a pharmaceutical liquid composition comprising the booster as set forth above and a medicament, which are useful for the therapy of various diseases together with exposure of ultrasonic, where the therapeutic effects of the medicament is enhanced by the application of ultrasound in the presence of the booster.

1 . A method of enhancing the effects of ultrasound energy at a treatment site, comprising:
 advancing a distal end portion of an elongate tube toward the treatment site;   delivering a pharmaceutical liquid composition through a lumen of said elongate tube; and   emitting ultrasound energy at a frequency between about 20 KHz to about several MHz into said pharmaceutical liquid composition to promote diffusion of said medicament at the treatment site.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said pharmaceutical liquid composition comprises a medicament. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said medicament comprises a hormone. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said medicament comprises an antibiotic. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said medicament comprises a chemotherapeutic agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said medicament comprises an antineoplastic agent. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said antineoplastic agent is doxorubicin. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said antineoplastic agent is cytarabine. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said medicament comprises an antithrombotic agent. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said medicament comprises a thrombolytic agent. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said thrombolytic agent comprises urokinase. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said thrombolytic agent comprises tissue plasminogen activator. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound energy is emitted from an ultrasonic element disposed along said distal end portion of said elongate tube. 
     
     
         14 . A method of enhancing the effects of ultrasound energy at a treatment site, comprising:
 advancing a distal end portion of an elongate tube toward the treatment site;   delivering a pharmaceutical liquid composition through a lumen of said elongate tube;   emitting ultrasound energy at a frequency between about 20 KHz to about several MHz into said pharmaceutical liquid composition to promote diffusion of said medicament at the treatment site; and   generating cavitation at the treatment site.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said pharmaceutical liquid composition comprises a medicament. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said medicament comprises a thrombolytic agent. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said thrombolytic agent comprises urokinase. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said thrombolytic agent comprises tissue plasminogen activator.