Small-molecule release from poly(D,L-lactide)/poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) composite microparticles

✍ Scribed by Emily J. Pollauf; Kyekyoon Kevin Kim; Daniel W. Pack

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 402 KB
• Volume: 94
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-3549
• DOI: 10.1002/jps.20408

✦ Synopsis

Addition of biodegradable polymer shells surrounding polymeric, drugloaded microparticles offers the opportunity to control drug release rates. A novel fabrication method was used to produce microparticles with precise control of particle diameter and the thickness of the polymer shell. The effect of shell thickness on release of a model drug, piroxicam, has been clearly shown for 2-to 15-mm thick shells of poly(D,Llactide) (PDLL) surrounding a poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) core and compared to pure PLG microspheres loaded with piroxicam. Furthermore, the core-shell microparticles are compared to microspheres containing blended polymers in the same mass ratios to demonstrate the importance of the core-shell morphology. Combining PDLL(PLG) microcapsules of different shell thicknesses allows nearly constant release rates to be attained for a period of 6 weeks.