Development of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microparticles for sustained delivery of meloxicam.

Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymers have been widely used for drug delivery due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. One of the objectives of encapsulating a drug in PLGA microparticles (MPs) is to achieve an extended supply of the drug through sustained release, which can range from weeks to months. Focusing on the applications needing a relatively short-term delivery, we investigated formulation strategies to achieve a drug release from PLGA MPs for two weeks, using meloxicam as a model compound.

Development of hot-melt extruded drug/polymer matrices for sustained delivery of meloxicam.

For effective resolution of regional subacute inflammation and prevention of biofouling formation, we have developed a polymeric implant that can release meloxicam, a selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, in a sustained manner. Meloxicam-loaded polymer matrices were produced by hot-melt extrusion, with commercially available biocompatible polymers, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), and poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) (EVA). PLGA and EVA had a limited control over the drug release rate partly due to the acidic microenvironment and hydrophobicity, respectively.

Engineering microenvironment of biodegradable polyester systems for drug stability and release control.

Polymeric systems made of poly(lactic acid) or poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) are widely used for long-term delivery of small and large molecules. The advantages of poly(lactic acid)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) systems include biodegradability, safety and a long history of use in US FDA-approved products. However, as drugs delivered by the polymeric systems and their applications become more diverse, the significance of microenvironment change of degrading systems on long-term drug stability and release kinetics has gained renewed attention.

Insulin, Not the Preservative m-cresol, Instigates Loss of Infusion Site Patency Over Extended Durations of CSII in Diabetic Swine.

Insulin infusion sets worn for more than 4-5 days have been associated with a greater risk of unexplained hyperglycemia, a phenomenon that has been hypothesized to be caused by an inflammatory response to preservatives such as m-cresol and phenol. In this cross-over study in diabetic swine, we examined the role of the preservative m-cresol in inflammation and changes in infusion site patency. Insulin pharmacokinetics (PK) and glucose pharmacodynamics (PD) were measured on delivery of a bolus of regular human insulin U-100 (U-100R), formulated with or without 2.