Polyactives: controlled and sustained bioactive release via hydrolytic degradation

Significant and promising advances have been made in the polymer field for controlled and sustained bioactive delivery. Traditionally, small molecule bioactives have been physically incorporated into biodegradable polymers; however, chemical incorporation allows for higher drug loading, more controlled release, and enhanced processability. Moreover, the advent of bioactive-containing monomer polymerization and hydrolytic biodegradability allows for tunable bioactive loading without yielding a polymer residue. In this review, we highlight the chemical incorporation of different bioactive classes into novel biodegradable and biocompatible polymers. The polymer design, synthesis, and formulation are summarized in addition to the evaluation of bioactivity retention upon release via in vitro and in vivo studies.