The present invention relates to the delivery of compounds for the treatment of anxiety disorders and symptoms of such disorders through an inhalation route. Specifically, it relates to aerosols containing diazepam that are used in inhalation therapy. In a method aspect of the present invention, diazepam is administered to a patient through an inhalation route. The method comprises: a) heating a thin layer of diazepam on a solid support to form a vapor; and, b) passing air through the heated vapor to produce aerosol particles having less than 5% drug degradation products. In a kit aspect of the present invention, a kit for delivering diazepam through an inhalation route is provided which comprises: a) a thin coating of a diazepam composition; and, b) a device for dispending said thin coating as a condensation aerosol.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/792,013, entitled "Delivery of Diazepam Through an Inhalation Route," filed Mar. 3, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,087,218, Rabinowitz and Zaffaroni; which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/150,056, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,853, entitled "Delivery of Diazepam Through an Inhalation Route," filed May 15, 2002, Rabinowitz, and Zaffaroni; which claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/345,882 entitled "Delivery of Diazepam Through an Inhalation Route," filed Nov. 9, 2001, Rabinowitz, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
An article for use in an aerosol device, for producing an aerosol of a drug composition is disclosed. The article includes a heat-conductive substrate having a surface with a selected surface area, and a drug composition film on the substrate surface having a selected film thickness of between 0.05 and 20 .mu.m. The film thickness is such that an aerosol formed by vaporizing the drug composition by heating the substrate and condensing the vaporized compound contains 10% or less drug-degradation product and at least 50% of the total amount of drug composition contained in the film. The selected substrate surface area is such as to yield an effective human therapeutic dose of the drug aerosol. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the article.
