Novel drug delivery microspheres from poly(1,5-dioxepan-2-one-co-L-lactide)

Novel microspheres from copolymers of 1,5-dioxepan-2-one (DXO) and L -lactide (L -LA) were prepared by oil-in-water solvent evaporation and oil-in-oil solvent removal. The two preparation techniques were evaluated for sphere formulation and incorporation of two different drugs. Sustained release of these therapeutic substances was obtained. The consequences of altering the DXO : LA ratio, preparation method, and drug hydrophilicity were explored and identified as factors governing sphere quality, in vitro degradation, and drug release characteristics. We show that these relationships provide a powerful means of controlling the microsphere performance. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1877–1884, 1999