Polyanhydrides drug delivery

For many drug delivery applications, the preferred method of delivery of the dosage form is by injection. For controlled release applications, the most frequently used approach to allow this method of administration is to prepare microspheres of the polymer containing the drug to be delivered. Several different techniques have been developed for the preparation of microspheres from polyanhydrides. 

Chasin, M., Dewis, D., and Danger, R., Polyanhydrides for controlled drug delivery, BioPharm Manufact.. 33-46, 1988. 

We have already mentioned a few of the polyanhydride chemistries that have been studied in drug delivery applications. Tables II through VII present some of the polyanhydrides that have been explored for drug... 

The chemistry of polyanhydrides is by no means limited to the categories discussed in the preceding sections. A brief review of some of the additional chemistries that have recently been synthesized follows with a mention of their potential for application in drug delivery. 

It is important to characterize the thermal properties of polyanhydrides that are proposed for drug delivery applications, as changes in crystallinity... 

Biocompatibility is an essential property of new biomaterials for drug delivery. Biocompatibility is always assessed with respect to specific applications and may be assessed with respect to cytotoxicity, allergic responses, irritation, inflammation, mutagenicity, teratogenicity, and carcinogenicity (Katti el al., 2002). The reviews by Katti et al. (2002) and Domb et al. (1997) provide good discussions on the biocompatibility studies that have been conducted with polyanhydrides over the past two decades. 

Polyanhydrides were first developed by Carothers and coworkers in the early 20th century for applications in the textile industry. The interest in these polymers waned soon thereafter because of their instability. However it was the poor hydrolytic stability that made these polymers attractive candidates for drug delivery applications (17). 

Keywords. Controlled drug delivery, Drug release, Microspheres, Degradation, Erosion, Polylactide, Poly(glycolide-co-lactide), Poly(e-caprolactone), Poly(hydroxyalkanoates) Polyanhydrides, Polycarbonates, Poly(orthoesters), Poly( l,5-dioxepan-2-one)... 

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