Solid drug delivery apparatus and formulations and methods of use

Abstract

Embodiments provide apparatus and methods for delivering solid form medications such as pellets to various locations in the body. One embodiment provides an apparatus for in vivo delivery of medication pellets comprising a first chamber including an opening; a second chamber substantially surrounding the first chamber, a carriage disposed in the first chamber, a mechanism for transferring the medication pellets from the first chamber to the second chamber and a pusher plate. The carriage can hold and dispense a plurality of medication pellets. Each pellet contains a selected dose of drug to treat a medical condition. A catheter is positioned in the second chamber. The catheter has a lumen sized for the pellet, a proximal end inside the chamber and a distal end extending through chamber opening to deliver the pellet to a delivery site. The pusher plate engages and advances the pellet though the catheter to the delivery site.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A solid form medication for delivery within the body of a patient, the medication comprising at least one drug for the treatment of a disease or condition, wherein the medication has a shape and material properties so as to be: (i) be stored in a container implanted within the body for an extended period without substantial degradation or deleterious effect to the medication, (ii) delivered to a delivery site by the application of a force on the medication, and (iii) dissolve in tissue fluids at the delivery site to produce a therapeutic effect at a target tissue site to treat the disease or condition. 
     
     
         2 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the force is a mechanical pushing force. 
     
     
         3 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication is configured to be carried by a mechanism which transfers the medication from the container to outside the container. 
     
     
         4 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication is configured to be advanced through an elongate member to the delivery site once outside the container. 
     
     
         5 . The solid form medication of  claim 4 , wherein the medication is configured to be advanced through the elongate member by the application of a mechanical pushing force on a surface of the medication. 
     
     
         6 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication comprises a pellet. 
     
     
         7 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication comprises a plurality of drugs. 
     
     
         8 . The solid form medication of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of drugs are for the treatment of multiple conditions. 
     
     
         9 . The solid form medication of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of drugs are for the treatment of HIV AIDS. 
     
     
         10 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication comprises at least one of a disintegrant or a super-disintegrant. 
     
     
         11 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication includes a feature for enhancing a rate of disintegration of the medication at the delivery site. 
     
     
         12 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication includes indicia for determining a degradation state of the delivered medication. 
     
     
         13 . The solid form medication of  claim 12 , wherein the indicia comprise optical indicia. 
     
     
         14 . The solid form medication of  claim 13 , wherein the indicia comprise a pattern or a crisscross pattern. 
     
     
         15 . The solid form medication of  claim 13 , wherein the indicia comprise an optically reflective coating. 
     
     
         16 . The solid form medication of  claim 12 , wherein the indicia comprise an acoustically reflective coating. 
     
     
         17 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication is configured such that a rate of disintegration of the medication at the delivery site is enhanced by the application of energy to the medication. 
     
     
         18 . The solid form medication of  claim 17 , wherein the energy comprises mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic, radiofrequency, acoustic or optical energy. 
     
     
         19 . The solid form medication of  claim 17 , wherein the applied energy produces structural defects in the solid form medication which enhance ingress of body tissue fluids into the medication. 
     
     
         20 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a drug for the treatment of a neurological seizure or epilepsy. 
     
     
         21 . The solid form medication of  claim 20 , wherein the drug comprises furosemide. 
     
     
         22 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a drug for the treatment of diabetes. 
     
     
         23 . The solid form medication of  claim 22 , wherein the drug comprises insulin. 
     
     
         24 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a drug for the treatment of high blood pressure. 
     
     
         25 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a drug for the treatment of coronary ischemia or a heart attack. 
     
     
         26 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a drug for the treatment of an arrhythmia. 
     
     
         27 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a drug for the treatment of high cholesterol. 
     
     
         28 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a drug for the treatment of a stroke or cerebral ischemia. 
     
     
         29 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise an antibiotic. 
     
     
         30 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise an antiviral compound, an antiviral compound for the treatment of HIV aids or a protease inhibitor. 
     
     
         31 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the drug comprise a vaccine or an antibody. 
     
     
         32 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication includes an electrically insulative coating configured to allow a surface of the medication to acquire and hold an electrostatic charge. 
     
     
         33 . The solid form medication of  claim 1 , wherein the medication includes an electrically charged coating. 
     
     
         34 . The solid form medication of  claim 33 , wherein the coating comprises at least one of an ionic species, an ionic sulfate group or an ionic phosphate group.