Novel Poly(Diol Sebacate)s as Additives to Modify Paclitaxel Release From Poly(Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid) Thin Films

Paclitaxel (PTX) incorporation in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) matrices produce films with high tensile rigidity and slow release that fail to deliver the required release rate for most biomedical applications such as in drug eluting stents and cancer treatments. To modify and improve this behavior, a set of poly(diol sebacate)s were synthesized and fully characterized as possible additives. The tensile properties of PLGA blends were evaluated as these materials could be used as coatings in drug eluting stent applications. A significant improvement in mechanical flexibility was observed with 20% additive content, as it reduced the Young’s modulus value and increased the maximum deformation at break. PTX release was studied and correlated with the release of additive from PLGA films. An increase in the initial burst release phase was observed on all blends when compared to the control films of PLGA. Modulation of PTX release was achieved by altering the hydrophilicity degree of the additive or its percentage content on the blend. This supports the possibility that PTX was partitioned into the additive phase. Cytotoxicity analyses of novel additives were performed on mouse embryonic fibroblasts NIH/3T3.