PLGA Implants for Controlled Drug Release

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2025 | Viewed by 174

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah Medical School, Hebrew University, P.O. Box 12272, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
Interests: nanoparticles; drug delivery; liposomes; lipid nanoparticles; PLGA nanoparticles; PLA nanoparticles

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The following Special Issue (SI), entitled "PLGA Implants for Controlled Drug Release", explores recent advances in the field of drug implants. The SI highlights the increasing demand for long-acting, targeted therapies for various medical conditions. The scope includes innovative fabrication techniques such as 3D printing and predictive mathematical modeling to enhance the accuracy of release kinetics and degradation profiles. In addition, it covers patient-specific customization, combination, e.g.,  multiple drug molecules and nanoparticles, and strategies to address burst release.

With this collection, we aim to showcase cutting-edge research and advancements in design and fabrication while simultaneously exploring complex release mechanisms to enhance the clinical utility of these implants. We aim to provide a platform for scientists and researchers to share their findings, exchange ideas, and foster collaborations. This collection builds on existing knowledge, addresses current gaps in research, and offers a comprehensive overview of the latest developments and challenges in the field while additionally identifying directions for future research.

Dr. Emma Portnoy
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nanoparticles
  • drug delivery
  • liposomes
  • lipid nanoparticles
  • PLGA nanoparticles
  • PLA nanoparticles

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 1556 KB  
Article
In-Situ Forming Polyester Implants for Sustained Intravesical Oxybutynin Release
by Michael Uwe Hartig, Jan Appelhaus, Marc Vollenbröker and Alf Lamprecht
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(11), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17111369 - 23 Oct 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), caused by spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis, is marked by involuntary bladder contractions and reduced urine volume. Current therapy requires frequent catheterization with oxybutynin hydrochloride. This work investigates a novel in situ forming implant (ISFI) with PLGA [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO), caused by spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis, is marked by involuntary bladder contractions and reduced urine volume. Current therapy requires frequent catheterization with oxybutynin hydrochloride. This work investigates a novel in situ forming implant (ISFI) with PLGA as a sustained-release formulation for the urinary bladder by quantifying drug release, polymer degradation, and solvent release in vitro. Methods/Results: Various formulation parameters were investigated, of which the drug load and PLGA termination were found to have the highest impact on drug release and polymer degradation. An increase in drug load from 1.5% to 7.5% for implants with the ester-terminated PLGA enhanced the degradation from 0% to around 20% after 7 d. Oxybutynin base catalyzed the polymer degradation, as implants with PLGA 502 and 15% drug load exhibited a degradation of 33% compared to 0% for 1.5% drug load. In the case of 1.5% drug load, the degradation could be increased by the use of an acid-terminated PLGA, compared to an ester-terminated. Conclusion: In summary, the feasibility of a biodegradable ISFI for NDO patients was shown, which could allow a single administration up to approx. one week, improving the quality of life for NDO patients. Additionally, this work provided insight to which formulation parameters can help to parallel drug release and polymer degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue PLGA Implants for Controlled Drug Release)
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