Patent ID: 9610243
Date: 2017-04-04
CPC Classifications: A61K

Claim:
1. A method for treating chronic pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the method comprising administering an implantable drug depot to a target tissue site beneath the skin of the patient, the implantable drug depot comprising clonidine hydrochloride in an amount from about 5.0 wt % to about 20 wt % of the implantable drug depot, and at least one biodegradable polymer in an amount from about 80 wt % to about 95 wt %, wherein the implantable drug depot has a surface that releases a burst dose of the clonidine hydrochloride in an amount from about 5 wt % to about 20 wt % based on the total weight of the clonidine hydrochloride in the drug depot within 24 hours, and the biodegradable polymer is poly(D,L-lactide) and has an inherent viscosity of from about 0.45 dig to about 0.55 dig and the implantable medical device releases the clonidine hydrochloride over a period of at least 14 days.