HETEROCYCLIC METHACRYLATE-BASED DRUG-RELEASE POLYMER SYSTEM

A heterocyclic methacrylate polymer system, developed originally as a low shrinkage polymer system, has been investigated as a drug release polymer and as a biomaterial for encouraging bone or cartilage regener ation. The system is based on poly(ethyl methacrylate) polymer powder mixed with tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate monomer and polymerized at room temperature (PEM/THFM). Promising results have been obtained with this biomaterial, and hence its water uptake properties were investig ated in detail, in order to throw some light on the release processes that are involved in vivo and in vitro. Water soluble large molecule a nalogues were incorporated into the system; these additives increased the water uptake of the system. Isobornyl methacrylate was used as a d iluent for the monomer to further reduce the water uptake of the syste m. In all cases the uptake kinetics did not obey simple diffusion theo ry, the process being very prolonged and complex.