Modeling Autocatalytic Controlled-Release Drug Delivery from Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Microspheres

摘要

Controlled-release drug delivery systems are being developed as an alternative to conventional drug therapy regimens which require frequent administrations because of short pharmaceutical in vivo half-life and poor oral bioavailability. Controlled-release systems have the potential to provide better control of drug concentrations, reduce side effects, and improve compliance as compared to conventional regimens. However, the design of controlled-release devices, such as biodegradable polymer microspheres, depends extensively on trial-and-error experiments due to incomplete understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the release processes and affect encapsulated drug stability.