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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Preparation and Characterization of Individual and Multi-drug Loaded Physically Entrapped Polymeric Micelles
Published on: August 28, 2015
Thermally processed polymeric microparticles for year-long delivery of dexamethasone
Amy C Goodfriend1, Tré R Welch1, Kytai T Nguyen2
1Division of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9130, USA.
Abstract:
Dexamethasone-releasing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles were formulated using a solvent displacement technique with the addition of distillation aiming to increase drug delivery lifetime. Two PLGA copolymer ratios (50:50 and 75:25) were used to determine the influence of lactic acid and glycolic acid ratio on microparticle characteristics. The addition of distillation significantly slows the release of dexamethasone compared to traditional solvent removal via evaporation while still maintaining a therapeutic dosage. Microparticles formulated with PLGA 50:50 controllably release dexamethasone up to one year and 75:25 release up to two years in-vitro. The ratio of lactic acid to glycolic acid plays a significant role in microparticle stability, drug loading efficiency, and thermal properties. In all, this formulation technique offers new prospects for inflammation suppression in pediatric vascular and airway diseases.
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