WO2012076193A1

WO2012076193A1 - Combination preparations comprising exosomes and corticosteroid

Info

Publication number: WO2012076193A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/057642
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Wehling; Julio Reinecke
Original assignee: Orthogen Ag
Priority date: 2010-12-10
Filing date: 2011-05-11
Publication date: 2012-06-14

Abstract

The invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions for a combination therapy with a corticosteroid and exosomes. Illnesses such as osteoarthritis, arthritis and/or degenerative illnesses of the spinal column can be treated by means of the combination therapy.

Description

COMBINATION PREPARATIONS WITH EXOSOMES AND CORTICOSTEROID

The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions for combination therapy with a corticosteroid and exosomes. By means of the combination therapy, diseases such as osteoarthritis, arthritis and / or degenerative spinal disorders can be treated, wherein the treatment is preferably carried out locally.

Osteoarthritis in Germany refers to a "joint wear and tear" that exceeds that customary in the age, and is associated with loss of cartilage in the affected joint, resulting in pain and functional deterioration, resulting in an excess of stress, congenital or traumatic causes, such as malalignment of the joints or bony deformity caused by bone diseases such as osteoporosis, and may also be the result of other conditions such as joint inflammation or congestion associated with congestion.

Basically, all joints can be affected by arthritic changes. In Germany, the disease is most often located in the knee joint. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common consultations in a general medical practice. About 10% of the population in western countries suffers from osteoarthritis. If one calculates the osteoarthritis disorders of the small vertebral joints and the degenerative ones Disk Diseases, even about 15% -20% of the population are affected. The risk of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. About two-thirds of people over 65 are affected by the disease, but not all sufferers also suffer from the symptoms.

For the treatment of osteoarthritis, some forms of therapy are already known. These include conservative (e.g., drug) therapies as well as surgical procedures to the replacement of the full joint with a prosthesis. In order to avoid such extensive and irreversible interventions, an effective drug treatment is generally preferable to delay the time of a complete joint replacement as far as possible.

However, many drug treatments also have disadvantages. On the one hand, this is due to the side effects of the drugs themselves, but their effectiveness is sometimes limited.

An often used medicinal agent for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is cortisone (also applied locally) and related corticosteroids. These are administered systemically in RA and locally in osteoarthritis as an injection into the affected joint. However, it has been shown that the positive effect of corticosteroid administration on both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis decreases significantly after just one week. This is clinically proven through randomized trials and clinical experience. In RA, a continuous dose of cortisone is used to systemically maintain the level of effect, but this is very problematic due to the increase in side effects and a lessening of the therapeutic effect on prolonged use.

Exosomes are small, lipid-membrane-enveloped vesicles found in the extracellular space of, for example, the human body. They are formed by cells by cleavage from the cellular plasma membrane and secreted. Normally, these exosomes also contain proteins taken from their cell of origin. Methods for obtaining and administering exosomes are described, for example, in patent application WO 2006/007529 A2. In the in vitro induction of prophylactically or therapeutically effective proteins such as IL-1 Ra by incubation of a blood sample in a suitable vessel such as a syringe, exosomes are formed. Thus, for example, Orthokin contains exosomes. The formation of exosomes can be increased by adding an additive that promotes exosome formation. The concentration of the exosomes can be increased, for example, by centrifugation at a high centrifugal acceleration. The use of exosomes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is known per se. Another drug that can be used to treat osteoarthritis is the endogenous protein IL-1 Ra or an isoform or fragment thereof that has similar activity. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1 Ra) binds to the same receptors on the cell surface as interleukin-1 (IL-1), but does not elicit the signaling cascade normally caused by IL-1 binding. By binding to the IL-1 receptor, IL-1Ra blocks the binding of IL-1, thus preventing its signal transduction and thus the pro-inflammatory effect of IL-1 on the target cells. The treatment of patients with endogenous serum in which IL-1 Ra has been enriched is known in the art. The IL-1 Ra thus used is also called Orthokin. However, a recombinant IL-1 Ra fragment, anakinra, had no effect on the treatment of osteoarthritis compared to placebo. Anakinra is an isoform of the human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, truncated to amino acids 26-177 and terminally L-methionylated, and has a sequence length of 153 amino acids. The production takes place for example by Escherichia coli strains with recombinant methods.

The invention therefore an object of the invention to provide a drug osteoarthritis treatment, which has a better efficacy and in particular has a good long-term efficacy.

Surprisingly, it has now been found that the effectiveness, in particular the long-term efficacy and the speed of onset, of corticosteroids such as cortisone in osteoarthritis, arthritis and degenerative spinal disease can be significantly and synergistically improved by the additional administration of exosomes. This is particularly evident in the local administration of the therapeutic agents directly into the joint to be treated. One of the surprising findings is that the use of corticosteroids in combination with exosomes obtained from a blood sample in, for example, an orthokin syringe (eg corticosteroid together with orthokin) is superior to therapy in terms of rapidity of onset of osteoarthritis seems that does not include the drug exosomes. A fast-acting effect can also be observed when an already effective osteoarthritic therapy (such as corticosteroid together with anakinra) adds exosomes as an additional active substance.

The combination of corticosteroid and exosomes also shows a strikingly good efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, both in terms of the speed of onset and long-term efficacy. This showed a particularly favorable effect due to surprisingly high effectiveness (due to the different pathophysiological starting points) at particularly favorable Side effect profile for the patient. The favorable side effect profile is of particular importance because chronic corticosteroids are associated with significant side effects such as metabolic imbalances, osteoporosis and other side effects. However, the combination of exosomes with corticosteroids such as cortisone reduces the adverse effects of corticosteroids (cortisone) and increases the efficacy of the treatment.

Regardless of the indication, it has been observed in a number of patients that the combination of exosomes with corticosteroids has a therapeutic effect that exceeds the sum of the individual therapeutic effects of the two active substances exosomes and corticosteroids, especially if both active ingredients are not therapeutically effective with a single administration are.

Therefore, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition containing a corticosteroid together with exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor.

The term "absence of a cytokine antagonist" in the context of the present invention means that not a single cytokine antagonist is present, this applies correspondingly with regard to the growth factor.

The pharmaceutical composition according to the first aspect thus contains in each case a corticosteroid and exosomes. Further, there is either the option of the presence or the option of the absence of a cytokine antagonist; In addition, there is either the option of the present or the option of the absence of a growth factor.

Likewise, the therapeutics can also be administered in two different pharmaceutical compositions simultaneously or in chronological order. Accordingly, in a second and a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a pharmaceutical composition comprising exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor for use in combination therapy with a corticosteroid, and a pharmaceutical composition containing a corticosteroid in the presence or absence a cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor for use in combination therapy with exosomes.

The invention in a fourth aspect provides a pharmaceutical composition containing a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor for use in a combination therapy together with a corticosteroid and exosomes. In a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a kit comprising (i) a pharmaceutical composition containing exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor and (ii) a pharmaceutical composition containing a corticosteroid in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor.

Moreover, in a sixth aspect, the invention relates to the use of exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for use in combination therapy with a corticosteroid, and in a seventh aspect the use of a corticosteroid in Presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition for use in combination therapy with exosomes.

The combination therapy mentioned above in connection with the second, third, fourth, sixth and seventh aspect is preferably a combination therapy together with a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor, especially in those cases where in the pharmaceutical composition itself is a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor is absent.

In an eighth aspect, the present invention relates to a method for producing a corticosteroid and exosome-containing pharmaceutical composition, comprising the steps of: providing a blood sample containing exosomes, preferably concentrating the exosomes and mixing with a corticosteroid.

Further embodiments of the invention are given in the following detailed description and in the claims.

The invention is based on the surprising finding that the treatment of diseases of the joints and spine such as osteoarthritis / arthritis and degenerative spinal disease, as well as in autoimmune diseases such as atopic dermatitis and circular hair loss by corticosteroids can be significantly improved by the additional administration of exosomes. Thus, the invention is directed to the combination therapy of such diseases by means of a corticosteroid together with exosomes. This can be done in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor. A presence of the cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor is preferred. These different active ingredients can be administered simultaneously - in the same formulation or in different formulations - or sequentially. The pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention, which contain only one of the two active substances exosomes and corticosteroid, as well as the kit according to the invention, can therefore be intended, on the one hand, for a simultaneous administration and, on the other hand, for a sequential administration of the exosomes and the corticosteroid. However, simultaneous administration is preferred, especially in only one formulation. Thus, for example, the two pharmaceutical compositions of the kit of the invention may be appropriately mixed before administration to the patient and then administered as a formulation. For sequential administration of the exosomes and the corticosteroid, the various drugs are preferably administered within a period of one week, preferably within five days, three days, one day, or within twelve hours.

In the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention containing exosomes and / or a corticosteroid, a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor may be present or absent. Presence of the cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor is preferred. Namely, there is a significant beneficial effect on the efficacy, in particular the long-term efficacy, of corticosteroids in diseases of the joints and the spine, if in addition a cytokine antagonist such as Orthokin (natural IL-1 Ra) and anakinra (recombinant IL-1 Ra), especially in the case of local administration of the therapeutics directly into the joint to be treated. A similar, surprisingly good effectiveness of the combination of these drugs has also been observed for autoimmune diseases, in particular the anti-inflammatory effect plays a role. The efficacy of combination therapy with corticosteroids and exosomes in diseases of the joints and spine such as osteoarthritis, arthritis and degenerative spinal disease is also significantly improved by the additional administration of a cytokine antagonist. When treated with the recombinant IL-1 Ra anakinra surprisingly results only by the combination with a corticosteroid efficacy. In the case of the natural IL-1 Ra Orthokin, a significant improvement in the effectiveness is observed, especially in inflammatory diseases. A possible explanation for this circumstance is that the cytokine antagonists have an anabolic effect and can abrogate or even reverse the harmful catabolic effect of the corticosteroid known in the affected joints. Therefore, in the treatment of, for example, osteoarthritis in addition to the cytokine antagonists, the corticosteroids may alternatively or additionally be combined with anabolic growth factors to achieve a similar effect. Generally, the cytokine antagonist may also be replaced by a growth factor or combined with a growth factor. The pharmaceutical composition of the present invention (according to the fourth aspect of the present invention) containing a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor for use in a combination therapy together with a corticosteroid and exosomes may be used for simultaneous administration on the one hand and for sequential administration of the other Cytokine antagonists and / or growth factor, exosomes and corticosteroids. Concomitant administration is preferred, especially in only one formulation. For example, the cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor may be appropriately mixed with a corticosteroid and exosomes prior to administration to the patient and then administered as a formulation. Alternatively, when coadministered, the cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor, exosomes or corticosteroid may also be administered separately and the other ingredients mixed as a formulation. However, cytokine antagonist and / or growth factor, exosomes and corticosteroid may also be sequentially administered in any order, or one of these agents may be administered at a different time than the other two. In a sequential administration, the various drugs are preferably administered within a period of one week, preferably within five days, three days, one day, or within twelve hours.

In the other pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention as well as the kit of the present invention and the use of the present invention (first, second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh aspects of the present invention), the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist in the pharmaceutical composition is possible. The presence of a cytokine antagonist is preferred. In addition, the combination therapy according to the invention is preferably a combination therapy together with a cytokine antagonist, in particular in cases in which in the pharmaceutical composition itself a cytokine antagonist is absent (see above).

The cytokine antagonist used in the invention may be any substance or mixture of substances that reduces or inhibits at least one, preferably substantially all, of the biological activities of one or more cytokines in the body of the patient. The antagonistic effect can be done directly by the antagonist or indirectly, for example by activation or inhibition of other signaling pathways, which in turn act on the biological activity of the cytokine. Preferably, the biological activity of the cytokine is inhibited by blocking its interaction with one or more of the receptors to which it is capable of binding. This can be achieved, for example, by competitive binding of the antagonist to the corresponding receptor or by binding of the antagonist to the cytokine itself be achieved. Preferably, the cytokine antagonist inhibits the action of the cytokine IL-1.

The cytokine antagonist may be, for example, a protein, a peptide, a nucleic acid, a lipid or an organic compound. Also, the cytokine antagonist may consist of a mixture of two or more cytokine antagonists as described herein. In particular, the cytokine antagonist may be a naturally occurring peptide or protein or even a recombinantly produced peptide or protein. In addition, the cytokine antagonist may be or contain an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment of an antibody, particularly an antibody or antibody fragment capable of binding the particular cytokine or cytokine receptor. Examples of suitable cytokine antagonists are interleukin antagonists, in particular IL-1 antagonists such as IL-1 Ra, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists, in particular a TNF-α antagonist such as an anti-TNF-α antibody, interferon antagonists , and chemokine antagonists. Particularly preferred is naturally occurring or recombinant IL-1Ra protein, preferably human IL-1Ra, especially orthokin or anakinra. IL-1 Ra preferably comprises or consists preferably of the amino acid sequence of an isoform or a homologue of human IL-1 Ra according to SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, an isoform of equine IL-1 Ra according to SEQ ID NOs : 6 or 7, or an isoform of the canine IL-1 Ra according to SEQ ID NO: 8.

In addition, according to the invention, fragments or derivatives of IL-1Ra can be used as cytokine antagonists as long as they can perform the desired function, that is, reduce or inhibit one or more biological functions of IL-1. Fragments of IL-1 Ra preferably comprise at least 20, more preferably at least 40, 60, 80, or at least 100 amino acids of a natural IL-1 Ra sequence. Preferably, the fragments are naturally occurring secreted fragments of IL-1 Ra. In one embodiment, the IL-1 Ra comprises amino acids 26 to 177 of human IL-1 Ra, preferably amino acids 26 to 177 of the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. Derivatives of IL-1 Ra are preferably homologous to natural IL-1 Ra and preferably have a homology or identity to natural IL-1 Ra of at least 60%, more preferably at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% and most preferably at least 98% over a range of at least 20 contiguous amino acids, preferably at least 40, 60, 80 or at least 100 contiguous amino acids, most preferably the entire length of IL-1 Ra. Particularly preferred are the IL-1 Ra, also called orthokin, which can be isolated from natural biological samples, such as blood, and the IL-1 Ra fragment with the amino acids 26 to 177 of human IL-1 Ra, also called anakinra. The recovery of orthokine is described inter alia in the patent applications WO 00/46249 A1 and WO 03/080122 A1. Anakinra and other IL-1 antagonists found in this Can be used in the invention, inter alia, in the patent application EP 0 343 684 A1.

In the recovery of IL-1 Ra from natural biological samples such as blood, e.g. in Orthokin, the obtained IL-1 Ra solution preferably also contains growth factors. Therefore, according to the invention, a cytokine antagonist may also be present in combination with one or more growth factors or be replaced by one or more growth factors. The growth factor according to the invention preferably has an anabolic effect. Examples of suitable growth factors are TGF-β, IGF, BMP, HGF and VEGF. Also included are analogs, derivatives and fragments of these growth factors as long as they have the desired effect, i. especially their effect as a growth factor.

The corticosteroid used in the invention may be any naturally occurring or synthetically produced corticosteroid. In particular, it may be a glucocorticoid, a mineralocorticoid or an androgen, with glucocorticoids preferably being used. Likewise, a mixture of two or more corticosteroids may be used as described herein. Examples of glucocorticoids are cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, cloprednol, deflazacort, fluocortin, triamcinolone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, fluprednisolone, clocortolone, clobetasone, alclomethasone, flumethasone, fluopredniden, fluorandrenolone, betamethasone, beclomethasone, fluocortolone, mometasone, fluticasone, halomethasone, Fluocinolone, diflorasone, desoximethasone, fluocinonide, amcinonide, halcinonide, diflucortolone, clobetasol and paramethasone. Examples of mineralocorticoids are aldosterone, desoxycorticosterone and fludrocortisone, and examples of androgens are dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and estrogens. The corticosteroid can be used as a free compound or in the form of a salt, ester or prodrug. In preferred embodiments, the corticosteroid used is triamcinolone, cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisolone or prednisone.

The corticosteroid is preferably crystalloid.

The exosomes in the exosome-containing pharmaceutical compositions of the invention or in the kit of the invention are preferably preparable by a method comprising the steps of: providing a blood sample containing exosomes and preferably concentrating the exosomes. The concentration is preferably carried out by a centrifugation step of at least 100,000 g, since such high centrifugal accelerations are particularly suitable for concentrating exosomes. This step is preferably carried out for at least 30 minutes, in particular for at least 60 minutes, since the concentration is then particularly effective. The step of providing an exosome-containing blood sample preferably comprises the steps of: providing a blood sample taken from a patient, optionally adding an exosome-forming additive, and incubating the blood sample in a vessel suitable for exosome production. The incubation results in the formation of a conditioned blood composition. For example, vials, tubes such as vacuum tubes, microtiter plates, and transfusion bags are suitable for preparing the exosome. The surface for contacting the blood sample preferably comprises glass, plastic (eg polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or polypropylene), corundum or quartz in vessels suitable for the production of exosomes and preferably consists of one of these materials. Preferably, for the production of exosomes in these vessels, surface-enlarging additives of glass, plastic, corundum or quartz, such as spheres, gels, wool, flour, granules or particles are added. The additive promoting exosome formation is preferably IL-1 Ra. The additive promoting exosome formation is preferably used in an amount of 1 to 20 μg per ml of whole blood.

In the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention for use in combination therapy with exosomes, the exosomes are preferably derived from a blood sample. The exosomes are preferably autologous or allogenic with respect to the patient to be treated. With regard to the extraction of the exosomes, reference is made to the statements just made for the production of exosomes. Preferably, the centrifugation step described above is carried out with at least 100,000 g (preferably at least 30 min, in particular at least 60 min) in the treatment of diseases in which an increased concentration of exosomes makes sense, preferably in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. More preferably, such a centrifugation step is generally performed in the event that the combination therapy involves exosomes derived from a blood sample of a patient.

The above detailed explanations regarding the preparation of exosomes apply correspondingly to the method according to the invention for the preparation of a corticosteroid and exosome-containing pharmaceutical composition comprising the steps of: providing a blood sample containing exosomes, preferably concentrating the exosomes and mixing with a corticosteroid. The mixing may be done in any manner known to those skilled in the art.

The exosomes in the exosome-containing pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention or in the kit according to the invention preferably contain IL-1 Ra. This applies correspondingly to the exosomes in the case of the invention pharmaceutical compositions for use in combination therapy with exosomes.

Preferably, in the exosome-containing pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention or in the kit according to the invention, IL-1 Ra is added in addition to the IL-1 Ra contained in the exosomes or used instead of the exosomes. The same applies in the case of the pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention for use in a combination therapy together with exosomes.

In preferred embodiments, the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention or the kit of the invention are intended for use in the treatment of joint diseases such as osteoarthritis, arthritis, arthritis and inflammatory cartilage loss, degenerative spinal disorders, joint pain and also autoimmune diseases. The osteoarthritis to be treated may be due to overwork, congenital or traumatic causes, or the result of another condition such as inflammation. The osteoarthritis to be treated is preferably an activated osteoarthritis or an inflammatory osteoarthritis. The pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention may be used for the treatment of osteoarthritis and arthritis on any joint, such as the knee joint, hip joint, ankle joint, shoulder joint, vertebral joints, finger joints, elbow joint, toe joints, temporomandibular joint and wrist. The arthritis to be treated may be an infection-related arthritis such as bacterial arthritis or a non-infection-related arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or gouty arthritis. Alternatively, the pharmaceutical composition of the invention and / or the kit of the invention may also be for use in the treatment of a disease other than one or more of said diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis). The degenerative spinal disease to be treated may be, for example, a herniated disc. Autoimmune diseases include, among others, autoimmune diseases of the joints such as ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as other autoimmune diseases such as atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata (circular hair loss).

The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention or the kit according to the invention are preferably suitable for local administration. They are preferably intended for local administration. Therefore, they are in preferred embodiments for injection, in particular for injection into the body region to be treated, in particular in the affected joint, to the affected nerve root or in the affected disc, or determined in the local environment thereof. The Pharmaceutical composition is thus intended in particular for intra-articular and / or periradicular injection. Alternatively, the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may be formulated for topical administration, particularly as a cream or gel, or for systemic administration, especially oral administration in the form of tablets, capsules or lozenges. The mode of administration depends inter alia on the disease to be treated. In local osteoarthritis or degenerative spinal disease, therefore, local administration of the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention is preferred. In preferred embodiments, the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention or the kit of the invention are intended or suitable only for administration other than systemic administration.

The pharmaceutical compositions according to the invention are suitably formulated for the various administration routes in a manner known to those skilled in the art. Thus, a pharmaceutical composition suitable for injection is preferably in the form of a solution or dispersion or else in dry form, e.g. as a powder or lyophilisate, which must be dissolved before injection in a suitable solvent, such as water. The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention contain the exosomes and / or the corticosteroid in therapeutically effective amounts. The corticosteroid is preferably present at a concentration of from 1 to 80 mg / dose, more preferably from 5 to 40 mg / dose in the corticosteroid-containing pharmaceutical compositions. An optional cytokine antagonist is preferably present at a concentration of 0.5 to 150 mg / dose in the cytokine antagonist-containing pharmaceutical compositions, but may also be present in significantly lower concentrations such as 1 ng / dose or more, for example between 1 and 1000 ng / dose. These low dose levels may be used particularly in combination with growth factors and / or in natural IL-1 Ra preparations such as orthokin compositions. The higher dose concentrations are preferred, for example, in recombinantly produced cytokine antagonists such as anakinra. In addition, the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may further contain one or more excipients and / or one or more excipients.

The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may also be intended for the treatment of patients who have already undergone another treatment of the relevant disease, ie, for example, osteoarthritis, arthritis, and / or degenerative spinal disease, especially if that other treatment has not been successful the disease symptoms have at least partially returned despite initially successful treatment. In preferred In embodiments, this other treatment is a therapy with exosomes, but without a corticosteroid, or a therapy with a corticosteroid, in particular a glucocorticoid as described above, but without exosomes. Patients according to the invention may be humans as well as animals suffering from any of the diseases described herein. Thus, the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may be useful for the treatment of a human and / or an animal such as a dog, a cat, a horse, a cow, a pig, a goat, a camel or the like.

FIGS. 1A to 1C show photographs of the feet of a neurodermatitis patient whose case is described below as case IX (example 4).

Figure 1A represents the dermatological changes on both feet just prior to treatment with exosomes and triamcinolone.

Fig. 1B shows the condition one week after treatment for the right foot.

Fig. 1C shows the condition one week after treatment for the left foot.

In the following some examples for the disclosure of the invention are presented.

Below are several case studies of patients with advanced osteoarthritis. These were treated with a combination therapy with a cytokine antagonist (e.g., recombinant IL-1 Ra recombinant or IL-1 Ra derived from autologous blood samples) and a corticosteroid.

Abbreviations:

right

Ii left

bds on both sides

IRO internal rotation

ARO external rotation

VAS visual analog scale for pain sensation (0 to 10)

WOMAC patient questionnaire on osteoarthritis

CRP c-reactive protein, a blood-detectable marker of inflammation

OSG thigh joint

Orthokin and cortisone therapy for osteoarthritis:

Number of patients: N = 129 Average follow-up period: 3 months

average pain reduction: 71% (i.e., reduction from 100% pain before treatment to 29% after treatment)

strikingly faster onset of action

Case I: T., 56 years, female

Diagnosis: Clinically radiologically there is medial and retropatellar gonarthrosis Ii, grade IV. A total of knee replacement has already been planned on the left;

Therapy: 3 injections of exosomes combined with anakinra and 10 mg triamcinolone in the left knee (2x weekly) while avoiding knee surgery.

Result: At the time of the third injection 100% pain improvement, significant improvement in function. The operation was canceled and the patient was still pain-free 5 months after the end of therapy. Case II: L., 57 years, male

Diagnosis: severe shoulder pain II for 6 months (VAS 8); since then significantly disturbed sleep. Patient could hardly sleep in the last 6 months, therefore also disturbance of the general well-being. Numerous injections of cortisone into the left shoulder were unsuccessful. A surgery for the left shoulder was agreed. Here an attempt should be made to avoid the operation. Radiographic and clinical signs of partial rotator cuff rupture and subacromial tightness with complete left shoulder stiffness; Discomfort left arm with weakness of force of hand and forearm left, grade 4.

Therapy: The injections were applied dorsally and laterally in the left shoulder. 2 ml Orthokin were administered with 10 mg Anakinra and 10 mg Triamcinolone via a syringe in the left shoulder. Therapy was performed on 4 consecutive days.

Result: Already on the second day of treatment, the patient reported an extreme pain improvement with a pain reduction of 90%. VAS had dropped from 8 to 1, the shoulder was free and normal moving. The patient was able to sleep through the first 6 months. The patient was thus greatly improved in his general well-being. Continuation of therapy until treatment day 4. Furthermore, there was a clear improvement as on treatment day 2, at the follow-up 6 months after treatment, there was an unchanged positive finding. The operation was canceled, mobility was free, the patient can easily lift suitcases and books above shoulder level again.

Case III: F., 45 years, female

Diagnosis: Complete right shoulder stiffness for approx. 8 months. All previous therapies were without success, an operation was planned. Patient wanted attempt of renewed conservative treatment. The night sleep was not possible for several weeks. Shoulder pain starting on the left side, main findings but right shoulder, there VAS 9 with severe acute attacks up to 10, as a result reduced general condition. Therapy: Treatment of the right shoulder from a combination of 2 ml Orthokin administered separately together with another syringe from a combination of 150 mg Anakinra and 5 mg Triamcinolone on 6 consecutive days.

Result: From the 5th day 85% pain improvement. Nocturnal sleep was possible since the second treatment, thereby significantly improved general condition. VAS at the end of treatment at 1st follow-up 8 months after treatment continued to show a very good unaltered result; OP was canceled.

Case IV: S., 25 years, male

Diagnosis: Severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis for approx. 15 years.

Treatment with 25 mg Enbrel 2 times a week, 10 mg methotrexate, 5 mg decortin and naproxen 2x1 a day. Massive synovitis and pain both OSG and both shoulders. Abduction of both shoulders before treatment 60 degrees. Laboratory CRP value: 5.35 (to 0.5 mg is normal); Leukocytosis.

Therapy: Blood was drawn for preparation of exosomes in a 6 ml syringe (Orthokin syringe). Thereafter, incubation at 37 degrees for 24 h, wherein when filling the syringe with blood previously 1 mg Anankinra (IL-1 Ra) and 2 mg prednisolone were applied to the syringe. After various centrifugation steps (up to 100,000 g), the mixture was then applied to the patient's OSGe and shoulders.

Result: Significant swelling of the joints after 3 days. Clinical and laboratory control after 9 days: 80% improvement in pain, normal OSG, no swelling. CRP value now at 1, 93. Improvement also in other affected joints that were not injected locally. Overall quality of life improved significantly. The control after 3 months shows a stable situation. VAS before treatment 9, since the first week after injection VAS 3. Patient very satisfied, work can resume. Case V: M., 64 years, female

Severe refractory RA despite basic therapy with Prednisolone 15 mg pd, Lantarel 20 mg pW, Humira every 2 weeks. Radiosynovioorthesis in the wrists showed only a minimal effect, intra-articular injections in doses between 10 mg to 40 mg triamcinolone showed only very weak (20% pain improvement after a week) effect on both the pain and the inflammatory parameters. In the presentation on the exosome therapy CRP 120 mg / l despite the above-described basic therapy, very severe pain in the hands and both shoulders. Exosome injection (after incubation with IL-1 Ra) and admixture of 20 mg total triamcinolone in MCP2-5 bds and bd. Shoulder. Thereupon clinical improvement (80% pain reduction after 1 week) starting after 2 days, lasting over 3 months. CRP control after 3 months CRP 42.6 mg / l, basic therapy unchanged, so that the effect on the combination exosomes with triamcinolone is related. Higher doses of triamcinolone alone as described above did not show any comparable effects. Case VI: M., 25 years, male

Known psoriatic arthritis; Basic therapy 5 mg prednisolone and 10 mg MTX; Main problem under basic therapy still marked swelling left knee with synovitis and swelling of 2 cm compared with the opposite side. In addition, swelling in the area of the wrists despite carried out basic therapy. Intra-articular cortisone injections into the knees and wrists at doses between 20-40 mg showed only a very weak effect over a few days with pain reductions between 10-30%. Presentation because of exosome therapy. CRP immediately before injection 5.6 mg / l. After completion of the exosome application of exosomes (prepared according to IL-1 Ra incubation as described) in the left knee (exosomes + triamcinolone 10 mg) and in the MCP 2 + 3 bds (exosomes with 2 mg triamcinolone per joint). Complication-free course, significant pain relief of 90% after a few days; CRP at 3 months 3.0 mg / L; Knee completely swollen after 1 week, no side difference: 5 mg prednisolone was completely discontinued as part of the basic therapy, as the effect of intra-articular injection from exosomes and triamcinolone was persistent.

Case VII: R., 32 years, male

Complete alopecia known for years, all therapeutic trials including systemic and local cortisone application in high systemic and local doses (10-80 mg prednisolone) without effect: Presentation on the treatment with exosomes. Preparation of the exosomes in the technique described above, single intramuscular injection of the exosomes together with 10 mg triamcinolone. Follow-up checks inconspicuous, after 3 months of evidence of hair growth in about half of the area originally hairy before illness.

Case VIII: H., 47 years, male:

Gonarthrosis with cartilage defects arthroscopically verified grade 2-4 after Outerbridge.

The patient wishes to delay an operation and joint replacement.

Anamnestic injection of triamcinolone in doses of 10-40 mg intra-articularly no effect. Injection of exosomes 1 ml prepared in the technique as described after incubation with IL-1 Ra. Intraarticular injection once from 2 ml exosomes, after 4

Week patient with clinical effect in terms of pain and function dissatisfied.

Thereupon decision of an intraarticular injection in the right knee combined with

10 mg triamcinolone. Complication-free course. After 1 week 95% pain improvement, function completely restored, patient can participate for years for the first time again in a tennis match. Case IX: J., 27 years, male:

Severe dermatologically confirmed neurodermatitis with severe changes v.a. In the area of hands and feet. All known dermatological therapies showed no lasting improvement, in particular only a short-term effect of 1 week after local administration of corticosteroids and systemic administration of prednisolone and triamcinolone intramuscularly in doses of 80 mg was observed. Preparation of exosomes in described technique, application i.m .; After 3 weeks no satisfactory effect on the skin lesions and the disease. Then try the application i.m. of 2 ml exosomes in conjunction with 20 mg triamcinolone. Within 2 weeks significant improvement, which persists unchanged over 6 months. After that slight worsening, but still improvement compared to the previous finding. Fig. 1A describes the dermatological changes on both feet immediately before treatment, Fig. 1B and Fig. 1C one week after treatment for the right and left foot, respectively.

Case X, B., 69 y., Female

Severe Bechterewarthritis with iridocyclitis left eye. Patient receives as basic therapy prednisolone and MTX in varying dosages. CRP 20.3 mg / l; left OSG distinctly swollen with + 2 cm opposite the other side; left MCP and end joint 1. Fingers left clearly swollen and painful, right shoulder swollen, painful, abduction reduced by 30 degrees from normal. Thereupon injection of exosomes in known technique in the affected joints without pain reduction and CRP reduction, then injection of triamcinolone in a total dose of 40 mg in all affected joints, slight improvement of 20% over 1 week. After 4 weeks injection of exosomes and triamcinolone total dose 20 mg, then shoulder 80% improvement, fingers 50% improvement with swelling of 8.2 cm left thumb circumference MCP joint to 6.6 cm. Ankle still no clear effect. CRP decreased from 20.3 mg / L to 2.9 mg / L within 1 week.

Case XI: A., 69 years

Diagnosis: coxarthrosis re, grade III-IV in radiograph; Hip pain with limp for about 3 years, patient still does not want a hip replacement; clinical limp, IRO / ARO re hip 5/0/5, incidental Lyme disease known;

Therapy: 5x weekly injections of 1 mg anakinra with 10 mg triamcinolone were given.

Result: At the end of treatment (after the 5th session) the Schonhinken had disappeared. IRO / ARO right now 10/0/15; VAS improved from 8 to 3; 70% pain reduction (personal assessment of the patient according to the current degree of pain (here 30%) compared to the pain before the treatment (100%), the pain reduction is the difference between present pain and pain before treatment (100% - 30% = 70%)). After 3 months of control unchanged improvement compared to the status at the end of therapy.

Case XII: R., 54 years, female

Diagnosis: clinically and radiologically rhizarthrosis re moderate with severe pain (VAS 6) with functional impairment when gripping objects. Cortisone injections in the past without success.

Therapy: A 5-time right thumb injection injection of 0.5 mg anakinra in combination with 1 mg triamcinolone (at the 1st, 3rd and 5th sessions) was given.

Result: At the end of the therapy freedom from pain, 100% improvement; VAS now 0; Right hand function normal; 3 months after the end of treatment, the result remained very good.

Case XIII: W., 49 years, male

Diagnosis: Clinically and radiologically moderate osteoarthritis in knee bds grade II-III for many years. Hyaluronic acid injections and cortisone injections in the knee in the past without success

Therapy: A 6-course anakinra treatment with 10 mg triamcinolone was made at the 1, 3, and 5 sessions.

Result: At the end of treatment 100% improvement in pain right knee, left knee 70% improvement in pain Case XIV: T., 45 years, male, musician

Diagnosis: Radiological and Clinical Inpingement Ii Shoulder for about 2 years; previous cortisone injections without success; Abduction reduced by about 15 degrees

Therapy: An injection of 50 mg Anakinra with 10 mg Triam plus one control was made. The injection of anakinra and 10 mg of triam was mixed in a syringe and mounted sterile.

Result: In the subsequent control one week after the treatment complete freedom from pain (100%), function normal. Because of the good therapy success no further treatments were planned. Follow-up checks were unremarkable. Case XV: K., 45 years, male

Diagnosis: Clinically and radiologically medial knee osteoarthritis re grade IV and retropatellar for many years; on the outside, it was recommended to attempt a remodeling osteotomy or knee replacement on the right. However, the patient wanted a conservative therapeutic trial. In the past, injections of hyaluronic acid and cortisone (triamcinolone) were not clinically successful. Therapy: A 10-course anakinra treatment (100 mg per session) with parallel administration of 10 mg triamcinolone (total treatment dose 50 mg) twice weekly was performed.

Result: At the end of therapy 65% pain reduction after 3 months.

Case XVI: M., 50 years, male

Diagnosis: Clinical and radiological (MRI) internal meniscal damage re knee III with marked deterioration in function and pain medial right knee. OP was recommended, patient would like to not surgical alternative.

Therapy: A single injection of 10 mg triamcinolone and 1 mg anakinra was made.

Result: One month after injection 80% pain improvement, patient does not want surgery any more, but re-injection, because it helped very well. At follow-up 6 months after therapy, no OP request remains, patient pain free.

Case XVII: G., 42 years, male

Diagnosis: Clinically and radiologically lumbar facet osteoarthritis for many years, incidental diverticulum. Inpatient treatment with cortisone injections into the lumbar facets without success.

Therapy: 6 therapy sessions twice weekly with injections of 6 mg anakinra into the lumbar facet were made. An additional 3 mg of triamcinolone was administered at the first injection, and only 6 mg anakinra were administered in follow-up treatments 2-6.

Result: 60% pain improvement, VAS improved from 7 before treatment to 3 after treatment. Controls unchanged after 5 months.

In a treatment with anakinra and cortisone, a case series (number of patients: N = 12) was statistically evaluated. The pain level was previously defined as 100. The pain level afterward was 30, 0, 30, 0, 35, 0, 40, 60, 40, 50, 80 and 50 for the individual patients.

Result:

average pain reduction: 71, 5% after approx. 3 months (before therapy 100% pain, end of treatment 28.5% pain), standard deviation: SD = 22, p <0.001.

Orthokin and cortisone therapy for osteoarthritis:

Number of patients: N = 129, average follow-up period: 3 months, average pain reduction: 71% (i.e., reduction from 100% pain before treatment to 29% after treatment), strikingly rapid onset of action.

Claims

claims

1 . A pharmaceutical composition containing a corticosteroid together with exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor.

2. A pharmaceutical composition containing exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor for use in a combination therapy together with a corticosteroid.

A pharmaceutical composition containing a corticosteroid in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor for use in combination therapy with exosomes.

A pharmaceutical composition containing a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor for use in a combination therapy together with a corticosteroid and exosomes.

5. A kit comprising (i) a pharmaceutical composition containing exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor and (ii) a pharmaceutical composition containing a corticosteroid in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor.

A pharmaceutical composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4 or a kit according to claim 5, wherein the exosomes contain IL-1 Ra.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 2, 3, 5 or 6, wherein the pharmaceutical composition (s) is / are intended for simultaneous or sequential administration of the exosomes and the corticosteroid.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the corticosteroid

(a) a glucocorticoid such as cortisone, hydrocortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, cloprednol, deflazacort, fluocortin, triamcinolone, dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, fluprednisolone, clocortolone, clobetasone, alclomethasone, flumethasone, fluopredniden, fluorandrenolone, betamethasone, beclomethasone, fluocortolone, mometasone, fluticasone , Halomethasone, fluocinolone, diflorasone, desoximethasone, fluocinonide, amcinonide, halcinonide, diflucortolone, clobetasol, paramethasone; (b) a mineralocorticoid such as aldosterone, desoxycorticosterone and fludrocortisone; or

(c) an androgen such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and estrogens;

or a salt, ester or prodrug thereof.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 or 8, wherein the corticosteroid is present at a concentration of 1 to 80 mg / dose in the corticosteroid-containing pharmaceutical composition.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the exosomes are preparable by a method comprising the steps of: providing an exosome-containing blood sample and concentrating the exosomes.

1 1. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to claim 10, wherein said concentration is by a centrifugation step of at least 100,000 g.

A pharmaceutical composition for use in combination therapy with exosomes according to any one of claims 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 or 9, wherein the exosomes are obtained from a blood sample.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to claim 12, wherein the exosomes are autologous or allogenic with respect to the patient to be treated.

14. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to claim 6 for the treatment of osteoarthritis, wherein IL-1 Ra is added in addition to the contained in the exosomes IL-1 Ra or used in place of the exosomes.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 1 to 14 for use in the treatment of joint diseases such as osteoarthritis, arthritis, arthritis and inflammatory cartilage loss, degenerative spinal disorders, and / or joint pain.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to claim 15, wherein the osteoarthritis is an activated osteoarthritis or an inflammatory osteoarthritis.

17. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to claim 15, wherein the arthritis is an infection-related arthritis such as bacterial arthritis or a noninfection-related arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis or gouty arthritis.

The pharmaceutical composition or kit of claim 15, wherein the degenerative spinal disease is a herniated disc.

19. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 1 to 14 for use in the treatment of an autoimmune disease.

The pharmaceutical composition or kit of claim 19, wherein the autoimmune disease is atopic dermatitis or alopecia areata.

21. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the pharmaceutical composition (s) is / are suitable for local administration.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to claim 21, wherein the local administration is selected from the group consisting of injection into the affected body region, in particular into the affected joint, to the affected nerve root or to the affected disc, or into the local environment thereof; intra-articular injection; and topical administration.

23. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 1 to

22, wherein the pharmaceutical composition (s) further contains a carrier and / or an excipient.

24. Pharmaceutical composition or kit according to one of claims 1 to

23, wherein a cytokine antagonist is present and the cytokine antagonist is selected from the group consisting of interleukin antagonists, in particular IL-1 antagonists such as IL-1 Ra, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists, in particular a TNF-α Antagonist such as an anti-TNF-a antibody, interferon antagonists, and chemokine antagonists.

A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to claim 24, wherein the cytokine antagonist is naturally occurring or recombinant IL-1 Ra protein, especially orthokin or anakinra.

26. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 24 or 25, wherein the cytokine antagonist in a concentration of 0.5 to 150 mg / dose is present in the cytokine antagonist-containing pharmaceutical composition.

27. A pharmaceutical composition or kit according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein a growth factor is present and the growth factor is selected from the group consisting of TGF-ß, IGF, BMP, HGF and VEGF.

28. Use of exosomes in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for use in a combination therapy together with a corticosteroid.

Use of a corticosteroid in the presence or absence of a cytokine antagonist and / or a growth factor for the manufacture of a pharmaceutical composition for use in combination therapy with exosomes.

A method of making a corticosteroid and exosome-containing pharmaceutical composition, comprising the steps of: providing a blood sample containing exosomes, preferably concentrating the exosomes and mixing with a corticosteroid.