The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical preparation for topical administration in the treatment of various dermatological disorders, e.g. psoriasis, acne, seborrheic dermatitis, idiopathis vitiligo and bullous pemphigoid, comprising acetyl salicylic acid as the active ingredient. The present invention is also directed to a method for treating these various dermatological disorders, which comprises administering a composition having acetyl salicylic acid as the active ingredient.
Acetyl salicylic acid has been well known as a therapeutically active compound. It is known as a very effective analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Thus far, acetyl salicylic acid has been orally administered, i.e. in the form of a tablet, capsule, etc., or has been administered by injection.
Numerous experiments have been conducted for administering acetyl salicylic acid not in the form of tablets, but in a more pleasant form. Israeli patent specification No. 44,774 discloses a pharmaceutical composition which is to be orally administered after having been dissolved in water. The aqueous solution has to be quickly administered, otherwise the acetyl salicylic acid will become hydrolyzed. Moreover, such an aqueous solution certainly cannot be stored for an extended period of time.
A stable liquid acetyl salicylic acid composition which is also orally administered, is disclosed in Israeli patent specification No. 44,485. An advantage of this solution is that it results in a more palatable form of administration, which is important in pediatric practice. However, external utilization of this composition has not been considered.
Experiments in which compositions were prepared enabling the external use of acetyl salicylic acid in the treatment of certain diseases, are known from Psoriasis, Proceedings of the Second International Symposium, 1976. The concentration of the acetyl salicylic acid in these compositions was 1-2% (all percentages listed in the present application are percentages by weight). However, the authors of this publication specifically stated that these compositions were not effective against psoriasis.
The inhibitory effect of certain compounds, inter alia, acetyl salicylic acid, on the development of erythema in guinea pigs, was tested by Erich C. Weirich et al., Dermatology 152, 87-99 (1976). The concentrations of these compounds, i.e. of acetyl salicylic acid in the tested compositions, was 0.05-5%. A certain external anti-inflammatory effect was observed for acetyl salicylic acid. However, this effect was not sufficient, and in particular, it did not give any hint that acetyl salicylic acid in a concentration of at least 11% is very effective in the treatment of dermatological disorders, in particular acne.