INTRAVAGINAL RINGS WITH INSERTABLE DRUG-CONTAINING CORE

摘要

Disclosed is a vaginal ring containing a ring body made of a first polymeric material having at least one hollow internal channel defining an opening to the exterior of said body and which channel is adapted to receive a drug-containing core through said opening, and a core containing at least one intravaginally administerable drug dispersed in a second polymeric material disposed in the channel. The core is positioned in the vaginal ring body suitably prior to use in order to substantially avoid initial bursts of drug into the tissues of the subject and resultant side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Representative drugs include contraceptive agents and other steroidal substances for use in hormone replacement therapy. Also disclosed are methods for preparing the vaginal rings, kits for assembling the vaginal rings, and methods of using the vaginal rings to achieve intravaginal delivery of drugs to a female.