Liposome composition for treating dry eye

Claim 2

A liposome composition for treating dry eye, comprising: (a) an aqueous medium buffered to a pH of between about 6.2 and 6.7; (b) dispersed in said aqueous medium, liposomes whose vesicle-forming lipids include about 60-90 mole percent saturated phosphatidylcholine; and (c) included in the lipid bilayers of said liposomes, 10-40 mole percent of a quaternary benzyl amine having an aliphatic hydrocarbon chain of between 15-20 carbon atoms.

Claim 3

The composition of claim 1, wherein the liposomes are predominantly in the size range between about 0.02-0.08 microns.

Claim 4

The composition of claim 1, wherein the liposomes and amine constitute between about 0.02-0.08 by weight of the composition.

Claim 5

The composition of claim 1, which further includes a high molecular weight polymer at a concentration which substantially increases the viscosity of the composition.

Claim 6

The composition of claim 4, wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinylalcohol, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 7

The composition of claim 1, wherein the liposomes contain between about 1-10 mole percent vitamin A.

Claim 8

The composition of claim 1, which further includes the bacteriostatic agent benzalkonium chloride, at a concentration of between about 0.004% and about 0.01%.

Claim 9

The composition of claim 1, which further includes a calcium-ion chelator.

Claim 10

A liposome composition for treatment of dry eye, comprising: an aqueous medium buffered to a pH of about 6.2-6.7, dispersed in said aqueous medium, liposomes less than about 0.2 μm in diameter whose vesicle-forming lipids contain between about 10 and 30 mole percent benzyldimethylstearylammonium chloride and between about 70 and 90 mole percent saturated phosphatidyl choline; between about 0.02-0.06 percent by weight of a polymer selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinylalcohol, and mixtures thereof, and a water-soluble calcium-ion chelating agent.

Claim 11

A liposome composition for treatment of dry eye, comprising: an aqueous medium buffered to a pH of about 6.2-6.7, dispersed in said aqueous medium, liposomes less than about 0.2 μm in diameter whose vesicle-forming lipids contain between about 10 and 30 mole percent benzyldimethylstearylammonium chloride and between about 70 and 90 mole percent saturated phosphatidyl choline; between about 0.02-0.06 percent by weight of a polymer selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, methylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and polyvinylalcohol, and mixtures thereof, and a water-soluble calcium-ion chelating agent.

Claim 12

A liposome composition for treating dry eye, comprising: (a) an aqueous medium buffered to a pH of between about 6.2 and 6.7; (b) dispersed in said aqueous medium, liposomes whose vesicle-forming lipids include about 70-85 mole percent hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine; and (c) included in the lipid bilayers of said liposomes, 15-30 mole percent benzyldimethylstearylammonium chloride.

Claim 13

A liposome composition for treating dry eye, comprising: (a) an aqueous medium buffered to a pH of between about 6.2 and 6.7; (b) dispersed in said aqueous medium, liposomes whose vesicle-forming lipids include about 70-85 mole percent hydrogenated phosphatidylcholine; and (c) included in the lipid bilayers of said liposomes, 15-30 mole percent benzyldimethylstearylammonium chloride.

Claim 16

The method of claim 11, wherein the liposome suspension is further formulated to contain benzalkonium chloride, at a concentration of between about 0.004% and about 0.01%.