Dapsone Formulations for Respiratory Inflammation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
There are no approved drugs specifically for anti-inflammatory treatment of patients with COVID-19, leading to overwhelming healthcare systems and potential complications from massive alveolar damage and respiratory failure.
Innovation Solution
Administering dapsone (4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone) to patients with COVID-19 or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to suppress autoimmune reactions and reduce inflammatory complications, using various dosage forms including intravenous, inhalation, nasal, oral, and topical applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no approved anti-inflammatory drugs are used for COVID-19 treatment, then existing healthcare capacities are overwhelmed, but using conventional treatments does not specifically address the inflammatory response and alveolar damage caused by SARS-CoV-2
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical structure of dapsone through oxidation to create dapsone oxide, thereby enhancing its anti-inflammatory properties. This chemical transformation changes the pharmacological parameters of the drug to better address the specific inflammatory response caused by SARS-CoV-2, resolving the contradiction between treatment effectiveness and availability of specific therapy.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If dapsone is administered to suppress autoimmune reactions and reduce inflammation, then inflammatory responses are reduced and symptoms are alleviated, but the drug may cause hemolytic anemia in patients with G6PD deficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the active anti-inflammatory component by oxidizing dapsone to dapsone oxide, which maintains the therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects while potentially reducing the harmful hemolytic side effects. This extraction and transformation approach separates the beneficial pharmacological action from the adverse reactions.
Solution Approach 2:
Dapsone oxide acts as an intermediary compound that mediates between the parent drug dapsone and the desired anti-inflammatory effect. The oxidation product serves as a modified intermediary that may retain therapeutic benefits while reducing toxicity, particularly hemolytic anemia in G6PD deficient patients.
3Productivity
If dapsone is used to treat COVID-19 patients, then cytokine storm and mortality are mitigated, but the drug requires careful patient selection and monitoring due to potential side effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by screening patients for G6PD deficiency before administering dapsone or dapsone oxide. This pre-treatment assessment prevents adverse reactions by identifying suitable candidates in advance, thereby reducing mortality from cytokine storm while avoiding the complexity of managing drug-induced hemolysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment protocol incorporates self-service elements through routine monitoring of patients during therapy, where patients contribute to their own safety through regular check-ups and reporting of symptoms. This approach manages the complexity of treatment by distributing monitoring responsibilities and enabling early detection of adverse effects.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for treating patients with COVID-19 and/or other respiratory conditions includes administering eighty-five milligrams of dapsone twice daily for twenty-one days. A variety of dapsone formulations and delivery devices are disclosed, including an inhaler, nasal spray, nasal gel, otic formulation, intravenous formulation, oral solution, oral suspension, patch and suppository.