Claims for Patent: 4,144,317

Summary for Patent: 4,144,317

Title:	Device consisting of copolymer having acetoxy groups for delivering drugs
Abstract:	Drug-delivery device for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time is comprised of a shaped body of polymeric material containing a pharmaceutically acceptable drug and permeable to passage of the drug by diffusion. The polymeric material is an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having a vinyl acetate content of about 4 to 80% by weight and a melt index of about 0.1 to 1000 grams per 10 minutes.
Inventor(s):	Higuchi; Takeru (Lawrence, KS), Hussain; Anwar (Lexington, KY)
Assignee:	Alza Corporation (Palo Alto, CA)
Application Number:	05/835,319
Patent Claims:	1. In a drug delivery device for releasing locally and systemically acting solid, semi-solid and liquid drugs over a prolonged period of time, the device consisting of a drug reservoir containing the drug in an amount for producing a desired physiologic and pharmacologic effect over the time period the device produces therapy, and a polymeric barrier through which the drug passes by diffusion, the improvement wherein said polymeric barrier is a biologically acceptable ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having a vinyl acetate content of about 4 to 80% by weight and a melt index of about 0.1 to 1000 grams per ten minutes, with the drug dissolving in and passing through the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer by diffusion at a controlled therapeutically effective rate over the prolonged period of time. 2. The drug delivery device for releasing drug according to claim 1, wherein said reservoir is a container, the polymeric barrier is a wall of the container formed of said ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, which copolymer has a vinyl acetate content of about 4 to 50% weight, a density of about 0.920 to 0.980, and the frequency of acetoxy groups on the polyethylene backbone of 1/150 to 1/8, and said drug is contained in the interior thereof. 3. The drug delivery device for releasing drug according to claim 1, wherein the device is in the form of a peroral device, and the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer has a vinyl acetate content of about 4 to 50% by weight, a density of about 0.920 to 0.980, and a frequency of acetoxy groups on the polyethylene backbone of 1/150 to 1/8. 4. The drug delivery device for releasing drug according to claim 1, wherein the device is in the form of an adhesive patch for application to the skin or buccal mucosa, and the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer has a vinyl acetate content of about 4 to 50% by weight, a density of about 0.920 to 0.980, and a frequency of acetoxy groups on the polyethylene backbone of 1/150 to 1/8. 5. The drug delivery device for releasing drug according to claim 2, wherein the device is in the form of a peroral device. 6. The drug delivery device for releasing drug according to claim 2, wherein the device is in the form of a patch for application to the skin or buccal mucosa.