Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/56—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids
  • A61K31/57—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids substituted in position 17 beta by a chain of two carbon atoms, e.g. pregnane or progesterone
  • A61K31/573—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids substituted in position 17 beta by a chain of two carbon atoms, e.g. pregnane or progesterone substituted in position 21, e.g. cortisone, dexamethasone, prednisone or aldosterone
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/56—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids
  • A61K31/565—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids not substituted in position 17 beta by a carbon atom, e.g. estrane, estradiol
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/56—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids
  • A61K31/565—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids not substituted in position 17 beta by a carbon atom, e.g. estrane, estradiol
  • A61K31/568—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids not substituted in position 17 beta by a carbon atom, e.g. estrane, estradiol substituted in positions 10 and 13 by a chain having at least one carbon atom, e.g. androstanes, e.g. testosterone
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/56—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids
  • A61K31/57—Compounds containing cyclopenta[a]hydrophenanthrene ring systems; Derivatives thereof, e.g. steroids substituted in position 17 beta by a chain of two carbon atoms, e.g. pregnane or progesterone
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P25/00—Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P25/00—Drugs for disorders of the nervous system
  • A61P25/28—Drugs for disorders of the nervous system for treating neurodegenerative disorders of the central nervous system, e.g. nootropic agents, cognition enhancers, drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61P—SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
  • A61P43/00—Drugs for specific purposes, not provided for in groups A61P1/00-A61P41/00

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of prevention of myelin degeneration and neurodegeneration . More particularly, the present invention relates to myelin repair ( remyelination ) for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
• myelin repair remyelination
• MS Multiple Sclerosis
• MS Multiple Sclerosis
• CNS central nervous system
• MS is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheath around the axons of the brain and spinal chord are damaged leading to demyelination and scarring, as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms.
• MS effects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal chord to communicate with each other. When myelin is lost the axons can no longer effectively conduct signals.
• MS itself effects both male and female patients .
• An effective treatment strategy for MS must also include therapeutic agents that reverse axon demyelination in order to prevent irreversible axon loss.
• Testosterone a male sex hormone, may have beneficial effects on MS and neuroprotection.
• MENT 7a-methyl-19-nortestosterone
• MENT is a different potent synthetic androgen which does not undergo 5a reduction and has therefore been investigated for long-term clinical use particularly because it is less stimulatory to the prostate.
• MENT itself has been recognized as useful, for example, in male contraception (10), as well as in maintaining sexual behavior and mood in hypogonadal men (11) .
• MENT has been shown to be 10 to 12 times as active as testosterone on male targets (15).
• US Patent No. 6,767,902 discloses methods of male contraceptive by administering MENT and its pharmaceutically acceptable salts, preferably as the sole sperm suppressive agent administered to males for this purpose .
• DHT 50C-dihydrotestosterone
• DHT has about three times greater affinity for androgen receptors than does testosterone.
• DHT is possibly best known for its roles in causing male pattern hair loss and CBR 058 prostate problems.
• Another known androgen metabolite is estradiol, primarily known as the predominant sex hormone present in females. However, it is also present in males and is a metabolite product of testosterone.
• estrogens have previously been documented to have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in experimental models of MS (17) .
• androgen therapy may also offer therapeutic benefits for diseases of myelin other than MS, in particular for leukodystrophies (18) .
• methods for remyelination of a patient comprising treating a patient suffering from demyelination with a pharmaceutically effective dosage of an androgen receptor ligand which exerts binding to androgen receptors in order to repair at least part of the demyelination.
• the androgen receptor ligand is selected from testosterone, 7a-methyl-l 9-nortestosterone and its derivatives, and 50C-dehydrotestosterone .
• the androgen receptor ligand comprises MENT in the form of an implant for subcutaneous implantation, and the dosage comprises between about 400 and 2,000 g/day.
• the androgen receptor ligand comprises MENT and the pharmaceutically effective dosage comprises the MENT in the form of a gel in a dosage comprising between about 12 and 16 mg/g.
• the androgen receptor ligand comprises testosterone
• the pharmaceutically effective dosage comprises the testosterone in the form of a gel including between about 5 and 10 mg.
• the patient comprises a male patient.
• the pharmaceutically effective dosage includes an estrogen receptor ligand which exerts binding to estrogen receptors.
• the estrogen receptor ligand comprises estradiol.
• the pharmaceutically effective dosage includes a progestin compound.
• the progestin compound comprises Nestorone®.
• the Nestorone® is present in an effective dosage of 5 mg/day or less.
• the progestin compound is selected from 16-methylene-17oc-acetoxy-19-norpregn-4-ene- 3,20-dione (Nestorone®), 18-methyl Nestorone®, nomegestrol acetate, trimegestone, norgestimate, dienogest, drospirenone, chlormadinone acetate, promegestone , retroprogesterone, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone .
• a method for remyelination of a patient comprising treating the patient suffering from demyelination with a pharmaceutically effective dosage of an estrogen receptor ligand which exerts binding to estrogen receptors in order to repair at least part of the demyelination.
• the estrogen receptor ligand is selected from 1 ⁇ -estradiol and 17a-estradiol .
• the patient comprises a woman, the estrogen comprises estradiol, and the pharmaceutically acceptable dosage comprises between about 20 g and 2 mg/d.
• a method for treating MS comprising treating a patient suffering from MS with a pharmaceutically effective dosage of an androgen receptor ligand which exerts binding to androgen receptors in order to effect at last partial remyelination of the patient.
• the CBR 058 androgen receptor ligand is selected from testosterone, MENT and its derivatives, and 50C-dehydrotestosterone .
• the androgen receptor ligand comprises MENT.
• the MENT is in the form of a subcutaneous implant containing between about 400 and 2,000 g/day of the MENT.
• the MENT is in the form of a gel, comprising from about 12 to 16 mg/g of the MENT.
• the androgen receptor ligand comprises testosterone.
• the testosterone is in the form of a gel comprising from about 5 to 10 mg of the testosterone .
• the patient comprises a male patient.
• Testosterone for example, has been shown to have very strong promyelinating effect in vivo, after demyelination induced by cuprizone intoxication, as well as in vitro on organotypic cultures of cerebellar slices. These pro-myelinating effects of testosterone have been observed in both male and female animals.
• testosterone promotes the proliferation and maturation of oligodendrocyte progenitors, and that testosterone also regulates microglial responses and astrogliosis : the number of reactive microglial cells and astrocytes, both of which are markers of neuroinflammation and brain tissue damage, return to normal levels after treatment with testosterone as compared to control experiments .
• testosterone has also been shown to promote remyelination in a model of demyelination induced by the stereotaxic infusion of lysolecithin in the mouse spinal cord, which is a primary target for MS attacks.
• the promyelinating effects of testosterone are lost in the CNS in ARKO mice and in testicular feminized mice which lack the androgen receptor, and can be mimicked by MENT.
• testosterone treatment is associated with improved functional outcomes.
• estradiol has also been shown to exert promyelinating effects, and testosterone loses its efficiency in aromatase knockout mice. It is thus apparent that both androgens and estrogens play an important role in this remyelination effect. It is thus significant for the compound MENT, which targets the androgen receptor and converts into an estrogen ( 7a-methyl estradiol) which interacts with the estrogen receptor.
• AR androgen receptor
• the AR ligands include testosterone (which is converted to estradiol by the aromatase enzyme), MENT (which is converted to 7a-methyl-estradiol ) and 5a-DHT (which is converted to 5a-androstane-3 ⁇ , 17 ⁇ - ⁇ 1 (3 ⁇ 1), which strongly binds to estrogen receptor beta (ER )) (16).
• these experimental findings show that the promyelinating effects of testosterone are strongly reduced in aromatase knockout mice.
• Figure 1 is a graphical and pictorial view of the staining density of myelin basic protein in corpus callosum of male mice;
• Figure 2A is a graphical representation showing treatment with 5a-dihydrotestosterone or with 7a-methyl-19- nortestosterone after cuprizone intoxication providing myelination ;
• Figure 2B is a graphical representation showing the intensity of myelin basic protein staining
• Figure 3 is a pictorial and graphical representation showing testosterone regulation of microglial responses and estrogliosis ;
• Figure 4 is a graphical and pictorial representation showing demyelination induced by cuprizone
• Figure 5 is a pictorial and graphical representation of testosterone stimulation of remyelination after cuprizone intoxication ;
• Figure 6 is a graphical representation showing the number of oligodendrocytes subsequent to hormonal treatments.
• Figure 7 is a graphical representation showing myelination of corpus callosum axons.
• the present invention is most particularly based upon the discovery of the particular properties of certain androgens. Most particularly, these androgens exert binding to androgen receptors and elicit androgen-receptor-induced biological responses. These androgens include testosterone,
• MENT 7oc-methyl-19-nortestosterone (MENT) , derivatives of MENT, such as fluoro-methyl-19-nortestosterone (eF-MENT), and
• DHT 50C-dihydrotestosterone
• the androgen receptor ligands and estrogen receptor ligands should be utilized at specific dosage levels.
• the androgen receptor ligands such as MENT, it is preferred that it be utilized at dosage levels of between abut 400 and 2, 000 ⁇ g/day, preferably at about
• the dosages can be determined by a clinician using conventional dose escalation studies . It can be expected to be within the above preferred ranges. Furthermore, while this discussion has specifically referred to the highly significant androgen component of the present invention, it can, of course, also apply with equal force to the estrogen metabolite hereof .
• the specified androgen compounds of this invention can be applied in various ways, both orally and preferably non-orally, including gels, patches, or the like, in a wide range of dosages, ranging broadly from as low as about 400 ⁇ g/day and up to about 2, 000 ⁇ g/day absorbed by the patient, such as by the use of implants and the like, or from about 12 ⁇ g/day up to about 16 ⁇ g/day gels or the like transdermal systems. Delivery can be either continuous (such as by means of subcutaneous implants) or possibly sequential, such as sequential delivery for from 6 to 8 weeks continuously, followed by 1 to 2 weeks of termination of delivery .
• a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for treating MS and obtaining remyelination in a patient suffering from demyelination with a pharmaceutically effective dosage of the androgen MENT at a dosage sufficient to stimulate remyelination.
• a pharmaceutically effective dosage of the androgen MENT at a dosage sufficient to stimulate remyelination.
• the amount of MENT utilized will be daily doses of from between about 400 to 2,000 ⁇ g/day, preferably about 1,600 ⁇ g/day in the form of an implant.
• compositions are adapted for administration in dosage form for non-oral administration, such as by transdermal administration using gels, sprays, and in the form of subcutaneous implants .
• compositions can be adapted for oral administration, and include other androgens which are active orally such as in the form of tablets, capsules, cachets, dragees, pills, pellets, granules, powder solutions, emulsions, suspensions, and the like.
• neurodegeneration in a patient can be treated with a pharmaceutically effective dosage of a progestin compound which exerts binding to progesterone receptors and elicits progesterone-receptor-induced biological responses without interacting with the androgen receptor and without inducing androgen or glucocorticoid biological responses.
• the pharmaceutically effective dosage is 5 mg/day or lower whereby neurodegeneration is prevented or reduced.
• the pharmaceutically effective dosage is from about 100 to 400 ⁇ g/day and preferably the progestin compound is a compound selected from the group consisting of 16-methylene-17oc-acetoxy-19-norpregn- 4-ene-3 , 20-dione (Nestorone®) , 18-methyl Nestorone®, nomegestrol acetate, trimegestone, norgestimate, dienogest, drospirenone, chlormadinone acetate, promegestone, retroprogesterone , and 17-hydroxyprogesterone . It has thus been discovered that when combining the progestins of this prior application with the androgen receptor ligands and/or the estrogen receptor ligands of the present invention, further beneficial and unexpected remyelination is obtained.
• image b myelin staining in a control mouse is shown; in image d, cuprizone treatment for 12 weeks is shown to cause strong demyelination of corpus callosum with little remyelination in the absence of testosterone treatment. Finally, in image f, testosterone treatment for six weeks is shown to promote corpus callosum remyelination after cuprizone intoxication.
• CA11+ oligodendrocytes in corpus callosum per 0.01 mm 2 is shown.
• Figure 2B the intensity of myelin basic protein staining (C: castrated control males; Cup: after 12 weeks of cuprizone intoxication, Cup+DHT: cuprizone intoxication followed by treatment for 6 weeks with DHT; AND Cup+MENT : cuprizone intoxication followed by treatment for 6 weeks with MENT.
• CM castrated males
• Cop M cuprizone
• Cip M males intoxicated during 12 weeks with cuprizone
• Ci+T males treated with testosterone for 9 weeks after cuprizone intoxication
• mice are treated with subcutaneous silastic implants of testosterone for periods of from 3 to 6 weeks, after termination of the cuprizone diet corpus collosum fibers are replenished by oligodendrocytes forming new myelin sheaths. Similar results are shown in Figure 5.

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• 2012
  • 2012-03-22 EP EP12712490.7A patent/EP2688571A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-03-22 CA CA2830519A patent/CA2830519A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-03-22 US US14/005,690 patent/US9364488B2/en active Active
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