IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE DELIVERY OF ORAL DRUGS

摘要

A drug delivery device and method for administering a multiparticulate therapeutic agent into an oral cavity of a human patient for gastrointestinal deposition. The device includes a housing, a delivery unit, a metering unit and an actuator. The housing define a reservoir capable of containing multiple doses of the therapeutic agent. The delivery unit defines a delivery receptacle, is moveable between a closed position and an extended position, and is capable of delivering a unit dose of the therapeutic agent into the oral cavity when the delivery unit is in the extended position. The metering unit defines a dose receptacle and is moveable between a loading position, in which the dose receptacle communicates with the reservoir, and an unloading position, in which the dose receptacle communicates with the delivery receptacle when the delivery unit is in the closed position. The actuator, upon actuation, causes the metering unit to move from the loading to the unloading position so as to meter the unit dose and move the unit dose from the reservoir to the delivery receptacle. The actuator also prevents the delivery unit from being moved from the closed position until after the metering unit has moved from the loading to the unloading position.