Implants for the treatment of dopamine associated states

1. An implantable device comprising:

a biodegradable implant, comprising

a homogenous mixture of at least one biodegradable polymer and a dopamine modulating compound, and

a biodegradable hydrophobic coating disposed about the homogenous mixture, such that the device delivers dopamine modulating compound gradually rather than with an initial burst and maintains an effective plasma level for at least a desired delivery period;

wherein the device is biodegradable.

2. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said dopamine modulating compound is a dopamine agonist.

3. The implant of claim 2 , wherein said dopamine agonist is apomorphine, lisuride, pergolide, bromocriptine, pramipexole, rotigotine, docarpamine, terguride, cabergoline, levodopa, spheramine, romergoline, carmoxirole, zelandopam, sumanirole, sibenadet, a 4-alkylamino-2(3H)-indolone compound or a combination thereof.

4. The implant of claim 3 , wherein said 4-alkylamino-2(3H)-indolone compound is of formula (I):

wherein:

R is amino, alkylamino, di-alkylamino, alkenylamino, dialkenylamino, N-alkyl-N-alkenylamino, benzylamino, dibenzylamino, arylalkylamino, or diarylalkylamino; R1, R2 and R3 are each independently hydrogen or alkyl; and

n is 1, 2, or 3, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

5. The implant of claim 4 , wherein said dopamine modulating compound is ropinirole.

6. The implant of claim 2 , wherein said polymer comprises poly(glycolic acid), poly-D,L-lactic acid, poly-L-lactic acid, copolymers of the foregoing, poly(aliphatic carboxylic acids), copolyoxalates, polycaprolactone, polydioxonone, poly(ortho carbonates), poly(acetals), poly(lactic acid-caprolactone), polyorthoesters, poly(glycolic acid-caprolactone), polyanhydrides, natural polymers, or mixtures thereof.

7. The implant of claim 6 , wherein said polymer is a polyglycolide/polylactide co polymer or polycaprolactone.

8. The implant of claim 2 , wherein said dopamine modulating compound is present in an amount which is effective to treat a subject for a dopamine associated state.

9. The implant of claim 8 , wherein said dopamine associated state is Parkinson's disease, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, pervasive development disorder (PDD), Asberger's syndrome, toxin-induced parkinsonism, disease-induced parkinsonism, erectile dysfunction, restless leg syndrome, or hyperprolactinemia.

10. The implant of claim 2 , wherein said dopamine modulating compound is present in an amount which is effective to maintain a dopamine modulating compound level of between about 1 ng/ml and about 40 ng/ml in a subject for at least one day.

11. The implant of claim 10 , wherein said dopamine modulating compound levels are maintained for at least one week.

12. The implant of claim 11 , wherein said dopamine modulating compound levels are maintained for at least one month.

13. The implant of claim 12 , wherein said dopamine modulating compound levels are maintained for at least three months.

14. The implant of claim 1 , wherein said hydrophobic coating is PLA.

15. The implant of claim 6 , wherein said polymer is PLA.

16. The implant of claim 2 , wherein said implant is manufactured using a melt mix procedure.