Drug delivery devices and methods for drug delivery

A method of administering a drug to a patient, comprising:

• inserting a drug delivery device into a lumen or body cavity of a patient, the drug delivery device comprising:
• a tubular body that comprises a wall bounding a reservoir defined within the body, the wall comprising a water-permeable portion and an elastic portion having at least one preformed release port disposed therein;
• a drug formulation which comprises a drug, the drug formulation being disposed within the reservoir;
• and
• at least one restraining plug secured within the reservoir in contact with the elastic portion of the body and adjacent the at least one preformed release port;
• and
• permitting in vivo water influx through the water-permeable portion of the wall into the reservoir to contact the drug formulation to develop a hydrostatic pressure in the reservoir effective to transiently form one or more microchannels between the elastic portion of the body and the at least one restraining plug, extending to the at least one preformed release port, thereby causing the drug to flow from the reservoir, through the microchannels and the at least one preformed release port, and out of the device and into the lumen or body cavity.

A drug delivery device comprising:

• a body that comprises a wall bounding a reservoir defined within the body, the wall having at least one preformed through-hole disposed therein and comprising a water-permeable portion, the body comprising an elastic portion;
• a drug formulation which comprises a drug, the drug formulation being disposed within the reservoir;
• and
• at least one restraining plug closing off a respective opening of the body and contacting the elastic portion of the body, the respective opening being in fluid communication with the reservoir,
• wherein the water-permeable portion of the wall is configured to permit water to enter the drug delivery device and contact the drug formulation located in the reservoir,
• wherein release of the drug from the device is controlled by (i) release of the drug through the at least one preformed through-hole in the wall, and (ii) release of the drug through the transient formation of one or more microchannels between the elastic portion of the body and the at least one restraining plug upon generation within the reservoir of a hydrostatic pressure effective to form the one or more microchannels.