Artificial tears and therapeutic uses

Abstract

The present invention provides ophthalmic compositions, e.g. artificial tears, suitable for treating dry eye syndrome in a human or other mammal suffering there from, e.g. a dog or cat, which comprise a mixture of castor oil with another oil, e.g. a food oil, e. g. olive oil, sesame oil, corn oil etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ophthalmic composition comprising:
 an oil mixture forming a stabilized oil emulsion in an aqueous phase, the oil mixture consisting essentially of linseed oil and castor oil;   one or more surfactants; and,   water;   wherein the ophthalmic composition is effective for the treatment of dry eye syndrome in a human or mammal in need thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , wherein the oil mixture is an emulsion comprising between 0.1% to 10% by weight of the aqueous phase. 
     
     
         3 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 2 , wherein the oil mixture is an emulsion comprising between 0.1% to 1.25% by weight of the aqueous phase. 
     
     
         4 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 2 , wherein the oil mixture is an emulsion comprising between 0.1 to 0.5% by weight of the aqueous phase. 
     
     
         5 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of linseed oil in the oil mixture comprises between 5 to 95% by weight of linseed oil. 
     
     
         6 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of linseed oil in the oil mixture comprises between 20 to 80% by weight of linseed oil. 
     
     
         7 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , wherein the oil mixture comprises between 40 to 60% by weight of linseed oil. 
     
     
         8 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more surfactants are selected from the group consisting of polysorbate, polyoxyl stearate, glyceryl stearate, and isopropyl stearate. 
     
     
         9 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more tonicity agents. 
     
     
         10 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more tonicity agents are selected from the group consisting of polyols and amino acids. 
     
     
         11 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 10 , wherein the polyols are selected from the group consisting of glycerin, mannitol, xylitol, propylene glycol, and erythritol. 
     
     
         12 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 10 , wherein the amino acid is carnitine. 
     
     
         13 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more viscosity enhancers. 
     
     
         14 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more viscosity enhancers are selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose and crosslinked copolymers of acrylic acid and C10-C30 alkyl acrylate. 
     
     
         15 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more acids or bases selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, and boric acid. 
     
     
         16 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one preservative. 
     
     
         17 . The ophthalmic composition of  claim 16 , wherein the preservative comprises stabilized oxychloro complex. 
     
     
         18 . A method for treating keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) comprising:
 providing an ophthalmic composition for the treatment of KCS, the composition comprising:   an oil mixture forming a stabilized oil emulsion in an aqueous phase, the oil mixture consisting essentially of linseed oil and castor oil;   one or more surfactants;   one or more tonicity agents; and,   water;   administering said composition topically to the ocular surface or immediate vicinity of an eye of a patient in need thereof.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more surfactants are selected from the group consisting of polysorbate, polyoxyl stearate, glyceryl stearate, and isopropyl stearate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more tonicity agents are selected from the group consisting of polyols and amino acids. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the polyols are selected from the group consisting of glycerin, mannitol, xylitol, propylene glycol, and erythritol. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the amino acid is carnitine. 
     
     
         23 . A composition for treating an eye in need thereof, the composition comprising:
 an oil mixture consisting essentially of linseed oil and castor oil;   carboxymethyl cellulose;   glycerin;   polysorbate 80;   crosslinked copolymers of acrylic acid and C10-C30 alkyl acrylate;   polyoxyl stearate;   carnitine;   erythritol;   boric acid; and,   water.