Patent ID: 8524267

Claim:
An implantable drug depot for reducing, preventing or treating pain and/or inflammation in a patient in need of such treatment, the implantable drug depot comprising dexamethasone in an amount from about 2 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of the drug depot, and at least one biodegradable polymer comprising at least 80 wt. % of the drug depot, wherein the drug depot releases a bolus dose of the dexamethasone at a site beneath the skin and releases an effective amount of the dexamethasone over a period of at least fifty days and the polymer comprises poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), polylactide (PLA), polyglycolide (PGA), or poly(orthoester), D-lactide, D,L-lactide, L-lactide, D,L-lactide-caprolactone, D,L-lactideglycolide-caprolactone or a combination thereof and the drug depot comprises an adherent gel that stiffens after delivery to a target site having a pre-dosed modulus of elasticity in the range of about 5×10 4 to about 1×10 5 dynes/cm 2 and a post-dose modulus of elasticity in the range of about 2×10 5 to about 5×10 5 dynes/cm 2 .