Pharmaceutical composition containing bile acid sequestrant enclosed in a size-exclusion membrane

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In describing the preferred embodiment, certain terminology will be utilized for the sake of clarity.
It is intended that such terminology include not only the recited embodiment, but all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner, for a similar purpose, to achieve a similar result.
The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition useful for treating hypercholesterolemia comprising a bile acid sequestrant resin maintained in a semipermeable or microporous water-insoluble material; wherein said semipermeable or microporous material enables bile acids from the digestive tract to contact and bind to said resin while preventing substances having a molecular weight greater than bile acids from contacting said resin material.
The active material according to the present invention is a bile acid sequestrant resin.
These resins, which are solid and typically granular in form, function to reduce the blood cholesterol level in humans using the above described mechanism.
One resin which may be utilized as a bile acid sequestrant comprises a cholestyramine resin.
The particle size of the resin typically ranges from about 100 to about 200 mesh.
Cholestyramine is commercially available and sold by a number of drug manufacturers.
An example of a commercially available cholestyramine resin is Questran, sold by Bristol Labs.
Another bile acid sequestrant resin which has been commonly employed is colestipol.
This material is also commercially available and is sold in granular form by the Upjohn Chemical Company under the name Colestid.
Cholestyramine is the bile acid sequestrant resin of choice.
The sequestrant resin is maintained in a nondegradable membrane which may be a semipermeable or microporous material.
This material is particularly characterized by being capable of enabling bile acids from the digestive tract to contact and bind to the resin while preventing substances having a molecular weight greater than bile acids (e