CONTROLLED DELIVERY OF TAXOL FROM MICROSPHERES COMPOSED OF A BLEND OFETHYLENE-VINYL ACETATE COPOLYMER AND POLY (D,L-LACTIC ACID)

'Large' (30-100 mu m) and 'small' (10-30 mu m) size range taxol-loaded microspheres composed of a blend of biodegradable ethylene-vinyl acet ate (EVA) copolymer were prepared using the solvent evaporation method . Encapsulation efficiencies were between 95-100% for taxol in 50:50 E VA:PLA blend microspheres. Between 10-13% of the total taxol content o f the microspheres (0.6% w/v taxol loading) was released in 50 days. U sing the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model, the taxol microsp heres released sufficient taxol to produce vascular regression and inh ibition of angiogenesis. This taxol-loaded microsphere formulation may have potential for the targeted delivery of taxol to a tumor via arte rial chemoembolization.