主权项 |
1. A pharmaceutical composition which self-micellizes upon contact with an aqueous medium to form spherical micelles which have an average diameter of from about 1 μm to about 10 μm, and provide for absorption of omega-3 fatty acid esters substantially free of any food effect comprising:
a mixture of (5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)-eicosa-5,8,11,14,17-pentaenoic acid (EPA) ethyl ester and (4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)-docosa-4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoic acid (DHA) ethyl ester and at least one surface active agent; wherein the ratio of said EPA:DHA ethyl esters is from more than 2:1 to not more than 3.4:1 and wherein said EPA and DHA ethyl esters combined comprise from about 60% (wt/wt) to about 70% (wt/wt) of said composition; wherein said at least one surface active agent comprises, in combination, at least one non-ionic polyoxyethylene glycol sorbitan alkyl ester (a polysorbate) selected from the group consisting of polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (polysorbate 20), polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate (polysorbate 40), polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate (polysorbate 60) and polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (polysorbate 80); and a block copolymer of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol having the formula [(HO(C2H4O)64 (C3H6O)37 (C2H4O)64H] (Poloxamer 237); wherein said at least one polysorbate is present in an amount within the range of about 15% (wt/wt) to about 31% (wt/wt); and said Poloxamer 237 is present in an amount within the range of about 0.5% (wt/wt) to about 5% (wt/wt); wherein said composition is free of active ingredients other than omega-3 fatty acid esters; and wherein said composition when administered to a human at equal dosage strengths provides for substantially the same bioavailability when administered with or without food to said human in need of such administration; and whereby said pharmaceutical composition self-micellizes in an aqueous medium, thus forming spherical micelles having an average diameter of from about 1 μm to about 10 μm, which provide for absorption of said omega-3 fatty acid esters substantially free of any food effect. |