Gallium has been known for many years to be useful in the treatment of calcium bone disorders. Gallium is a metal which belongs to the Group III A Elements of the Periodic Table. The metallic compounds used, have, of course, a low order of toxicity and are pharmaceutically acceptable.
Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,529,593 issued Jul. 16, 1985 to Warrell et al; 4,686,104 issued Aug. 11, 1987 to Bockman et al.; and 4,704,277 issued Nov. 3, 1987 to Bockman et al. describe methods of preventing excessive loss of calcium from human bone by the administration of pharmaceutically acceptable gallium-containing compounds. The '593 patent teaches the use of pharmaceutically acceptable gallium salts to reduce the excessive loss of bone calcium. The patent specifically teaches the use of gallium to prevent or treat disorders associated with extensive loss of calcium from bone in humans by administering to the individual a pharmaceutically acceptable gallium compound. Of special importance among the disorders which, may be thus treated are hypercalcemia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, bone destruction due to metastasis from malignant tumors and hyperparathyroidism. Gallium salts which are disclosed to be of use include nitrate, citrate, and halide, preferably the chloride, carbon, acetate, titrate, oxylate, oxide or hydrated oxide.
Loss of bone mass from increased bone resorption results in accelerated loss of calcium into the blood. This is the major cause of illness. Diseases result when significant depletion of bone calcium occurs and the structural integrity of the skeleton is compromised. The therapeutic agent of choice, according to the aforementioned patents, for treating many of the bone disorders is gallium, which both decreases bone resorption and increases bone tissue calcium content.
Heretofore, there has been no link between the treatment of bone disorders with the inhibition or treatment of arthritis, and more particularly, rheumatoid arthritis.
It has been found that gallium compounds, and gallium nitrate, in particular, are effective in treating arthritis.
The invention is directed to treating or inhibiting all types of arthritis suffered by man. However, with no intention of limiting the invention, rheumatoid arthritis is discussed.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease of unknown cause. In the majority of patients, clinical and pathologic findings and disability are the result of chronic inflammation of synovial membranes. However, the frequency of extra-articular manifestations justifies the concept of "rheumatoid disease". Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most crippling diseases in humans and for which there is no adequate treatment. Its symptoms include objective findings of heat, redness, swelling, tenderness, loss of motion or deformity of joints.