COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR DELIVERING PHARMACEUTICALLY ACTIVE AGENTS USING NANOPARTICULATES

摘要

The present invention is directed to methods and pharmaceutical compositions, e.g., nanoparticulate drug delivery vehicles, for delivering pharmaceutically active agents to tissues and areas containing mononuclear phagocytes e.g., macrophages in order to treat inflammatory diseases or disorders, e.g., a mononuclear phagocyte-associated disease or disorder, infected biological areas or tissue, injured tissue, or disease tissue. The inflamed, infected, injured, or diseased tissue can be accessible through the blood stream, using a nanoparticulate drug delivery vehicle injected into vascular beds (such as for example arterial and venous beds). Alternatively, the nanoparticulate drug delivery vehicle and pharmaceutically active agent of the invention may be administered locally, to treat specific areas or tissues, e.g., inflamed, infected, injured, or diseased tissue. In one embodiment, the nanoparticulate drug delivery vehicle is formulated as a contrast agent. Accordingly, imaging of the target area or tissue may be carried out prior to, during, or after administration of the nanoparticulate drug delivery vehicle.