Ocular implant made by a double extrusion process

摘要

The invention provides biodegradable implants sized for implantation in an ocular region and methods for treating medical conditions of the eye. The implants are formed from a mixture of hydrophilic end and hydrophobic end PLGA, and deliver active agents into an ocular region without a high burst release.

主权项

1. A method for making a bioerodible implant for treating a medical condition of the eye, the method comprising:
a) milling a hydrophilic ended poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) copolymer; b) milling a hydrophobic ended poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) copolymer; c) blending the milled polymers together with particles of a steroidal anti-inflammatory agent to form a blended mixture comprising hydrophilic ended PLGA, hydrophobic ended PLGA, and a steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, wherein at least about 75% of the particles of the steroidal anti-inflammatory agent have a diameter of less than about 20 μm; d) carrying out a first extrusion of the blended mixture to thereby obtain a first extrusion product; e) pelletizing the first extrusion product; and f) carrying out a second extrusion of the pelletized first extrusion product, thereby obtaining a bioerodible implant for treating a medical condition of the eye; wherein the implant has a total weight ranging from about 100-5000 μg.