Controlled Release of Paclitaxel from Biodegradable Polymer Films for Drug-Eluting Stents

Abstract

Although many researchers have studied the efficacy of paclitaxel (PTA) on many cells during the last two decades, little work has been reported on the importance of release kinetics inhibiting cell proliferation. The aim of this study is to examine the release behavior of the PTA on various biodegradable polymers such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLEA), poly L lactide (PLLA), and polycaprolactone (PCL) for drug eluting stems (DES). The PTA from the fabricated films was released for 8 weeks and the degree of degradation of the films was observed by FE-SEM. Although the degradation time of PCL was the slowest, the PTX release rate was the fastest among them and followed by PLEA and PLLA with the equivalent PTA concentration. It suggests that hydrophobic drug such as PTA from polymer with low T-g like PCL could be moved easily and released rapidly in body temperature.