Sleep apnea treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10172920-B2
Application number	US-201314407786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 14, 2012
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

Provided herein is technology relating to treating sleep apnea and particularly, but not exclusively, to treating sleep apnea with immunotherapeutics and/or anti-inflammatory drugs such as beta-interferons and glatiramer acetate.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of treating a subject having sleep apnea, the method comprising administering dimethylfumarate to a subject having sleep apnea.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea or is central sleep apnea.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the subject has:
a) an apnea-hypopnea index of at least 5 apnea episodes per hour of sleep and/or recording;
b) a central apnea index that is at least 5 episodes per hour of sleep in the absence of severe obstructive sleep apnea;
c) an obstructive apnea index that is at least 5 episodes per hour of sleep;
d) a central apnea index that is at least 15 episodes per hour of sleep in the presence of severe obstructive sleep apnea;
e) an apnea-hypopnea index of greater than or equal to 30 episodes per hour of sleep;
f) a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea determined by an index or measure from a sleep laboratory or home sleep study;
g) a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea determined by physical exam finding or symptoms of sleep apnea; or
h) increased expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) relative to expression of TNF alpha or IL-6 in a normal subject.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the dimethylfumarate is administered as a pharmaceutical formulation.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising testing the subject for sleep apnea.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the administering improves sleep quality or sleep quantity of the subject; reduces or eliminates one or more symptoms of sleep apnea; prevents increased severity of one or more symptoms of sleep apnea; or reduces, prevents, or eliminates a sleep apnea-related condition selected from the group consisting of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, insulin-resistance diabetes, depression, and sleepiness-related accident.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising co-administering an additional therapeutic agent or an additional medical intervention.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the medical intervention is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), surgery, or weight loss.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the subject does not have multiple sclerosis and/or wherein the subject is not in need of a treatment for multiple sclerosis and/or wherein the subject has not been treated for multiple sclerosis.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising a second testing after the administering.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising a second administering after the testing.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the testing produces a first quantitative sleep apnea score and the second testing produces a second quantitative sleep apnea score and a relative change in the second quantitative sleep apnea score compared to the first quantitative sleep apnea score indicates an amelioration of sleep apnea in the patient.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the testing produces a quantitative sleep apnea score that is used to change the dosage amount or dosage schedule of the second administering relative to the administering.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein:
a) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined using the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI);
b) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined using the Central Apnea Index (CAI);
c) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined by polysomnography; and/or
d) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined by a home sleep apnea test.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein:
a) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined by AHI;
b) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined by CAI; and/or
c) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined by polysomnography; and/or
d) the quantitative sleep apnea score is determined by a home sleep apnea test.

Assignees

• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Braley Tiffany J
• Segal Benjamin
• Chervin Ronald D

Classifications

• A61K38/215 Primary

  IFN-beta · CPC title

• A61K38/16

  Peptides having more than 20 amino acids; Gastrins; Somatostatins; Melanotropins; Derivatives thereof {(enzyme inhibitors A61K38/005)} · CPC title

• A61K31/194

  having two or more carboxyl groups, e.g. succinic, maleic or phthalic acid · CPC title

• A61K38/07

  Tetrapeptides · CPC title

• A61K31/225 Primary

  Polycarboxylic acids · CPC title