Patent ID: 8629172

Claim:
An implantable drug depot useful for reducing or treating post-operative pain in a patient in need of such treatment, the implantable drug depot comprising a therapeutically effective amount of clonidine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in an amount of from about 1% to about 10% by weight based on the total weight of the depot and a polymer; wherein the depot is implantable at a site beneath the skin to reduce or treat post-operative pain, and the depot has an initial burst surface and releases (i) about 5% to about 45% of the clonidine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof relative to a total amount of the clonidine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof loaded in the drug depot over a first period of up to 48 hours, and (ii) about 55% to about 95% of the clonidine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof relative to a total amount of the clonidine or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof loaded in the drug depot over a subsequent period of at least 3 days, wherein the polymer comprises poly(D,L-lactide-co-caprolactone) or poly(L-lactide-co-caprolactone) or a combination thereof and the polymer has an inherent viscosity of from about 0.45 dL/g to about 1.00 dL/g.