Claims for Patent: 7,851,482

Summary for Patent: 7,851,482

Title:	Method for making analgesics
Abstract:	Improved analgesic oxymorphone hydrochloride contains less than 10 ppm of alpha, beta unsaturated ketones and pharmaceutical preparations comprising such oxymorphone hydrochloride. The oxymorphone hydrochloride is produced by reducing a starting material oxymorphone hydrochloride using gaseous hydrogen and under specified acidity, solvent system and temperature conditions. A specific polymorph of oxymorphone hydrochloride may be obtained by hydration.
Inventor(s):	Dung; Jen-Sen (Boothwyn, PA), Keskeny; Erno M. (Wilmington, DE), Mencel; James J. (North Wales, PA)
Assignee:	Johnson Matthey Public Limited Compnay (London, GB)
Application Number:	11/866,840
Patent Litigation and PTAB cases:	See patent lawsuits and PTAB cases for patent 7,851,482
Patent Claims:	1. Oxymorphone hydrochloride having less than 10 ppm, as measured by HPLC, of 14-hydroxymorphinone. 2. Oxymorphone hydrochloride according to claim 1, wherein the content of 14-hydroxymorphinone is less than 5 ppm. 3. A pharmaceutical formulation comprising at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient and the oxymorphone hydrochloride according to claim 1. 4. A method of treating pain comprising administering a pharmaceutical formulation according to claim 3 to a patient in need thereof. 5. A method of purifying a starting material of either oxymorphone or oxymorphone hydrochloride to yield the oxymorphone hydrochloride according to claim 1, comprising exposing the starting material oxymorphone or oxymorphone hydrochloride to hydrogen under reducing conditions in a strongly acid water and alcohol solvent reaction medium at a temperature in the range from 60 to 70.degree. C. for a time sufficient to provide the less than 10 ppm of 14-hydroxymorphinone. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the exposing is carried out for a period of at least 20 hours. 7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the reaction medium has a pH of less than 1. 8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the acid is hydrochloric acid. 9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the temperature is approximately 65.degree. C. 10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the starting material oxymorphone or oxymorphone hydrochloride has not been isolated from a reaction mixture in which it is formed. 11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the starting material oxymorphone or oxymorphone hydrochloride has been prepared by a process comprising reduction of 14-hydroxymorphinone. 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the 14-hydroxymorphinone that is reduced is prepared by a process of hydroxylating oripavine. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the oripavine is derived from concentrated poppy straw. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the concentrated poppy straw is derived from a high-Thebaine-yielding strain of poppy. 15. The method according to claim 5, comprising the additional steps of subsequently forming crystalline oxymorphone hydrochloride and removing residual alcohol molecules from within the crystal structure of the crystalline oxymorphone hydrochloride by exposing the crystalline oxymorphone hydrochloride to water vapour, such that the residual alcohol molecules are displaced with water molecules. 16. The method according to claim 15, comprising the additional step of removing some of the water molecules from within the crystal structure of the oxymorphone hydrochloride by exposure to reduced pressure. 17. The method according to claim 15, comprising the additional step of removing some of the water molecules from within the crystal structure of the oxymorphone hydrochloride by heating the oxymorphone hydrochloride to a temperature in the range of from 50 to 55.degree. C. under reduced pressure. 18. A method of making hydrated oxymorphone hydrochloride having less than 10 ppm, as measured by HPLC, of 14-hydroxymorphinone and a KF of 6-8 wt %, comprising exposing a starting material of oxymorphone or oxymorphone hydrochloride to gaseous hydrogen under reducing conditions in a strongly acid water and alcohol solvent reaction medium at a temperature in the range from 60 to 70.degree. C., subsequently forming crystalline oxymorphone hydrochloride, and removing residual alcohol molecules from within the crystal structure of the crystalline oxymorphone hydrochloride by exposing the oxymorphone hydrochloride to water vapour, such that the residual alcohol molecules are displaced with water molecules. 19. Hydrated oxymorphone hydrochloride having less than 10 ppm, as measured by HPLC, of 14-hydroxymorphinone and having peaks within the following 20 ranges when analyzed by Powder X-Ray Diffraction: 8.5-9.5, 11.0-12.0, 11.5-12.5, 12.4-13.4, 15.2-16.2, 17.6-18.6, 19.3-20.3, 19.9-20.9, 24.6-25.6, 24.9-25.9, 29.0-30.0 and 31.0-32.0. 20. Oxymorphone hydrochloride prepared by the method of claim 5. 21. Hydrated oxymorphone hydrochloride prepared by the method of claim 18.