| CPC A61L 27/58 (2013.01) [A61L 27/18 (2013.01); A61L 27/54 (2013.01); A61L 2300/402 (2013.01); A61L 2300/604 (2013.01); A61L 2430/02 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A depot comprising:
a polymer matrix including a polyalphahydroxy acid (AHA) having an acid as a degradation byproduct and a therapeutic agent, wherein the therapeutic agent comprises at least 50% of the total weight of the depot, and wherein at least a portion of the polymer matrix has a volume with a minimum cross-sectional dimension of at least 400 μm before degradation of the AHA begins;
wherein, when implanted in vivo, the depot is configured to release the therapeutic agent such that a plurality of pores are formed in the polymer matrix, and
wherein, when the depot is (a) submerged in aqueous media for a duration sufficient for a molecular weight of the AHA and/or a mass of the polymer matrix to decrease by about 25% to about 75%, and (b) subsequently submerged in a buffer solution and broken up such that an interior region of the depot is in fluid communication with the surrounding buffer solution, a pH of the surrounding buffer solution is within about 0.5 units of the pH of the buffer solution before the depot is placed in the buffer solution.
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