Polilactofates are copolymers of lactide and phosphates, with potential applications in the delivery of small molecules as well as proteins (1). These polymers are designed to release the drug as they degrade inside the body. During the degradation process they get converted into oligomers and finally into various end products such as lactic acid and propylene glycol. Hence it is necessary to know the degradation products and the rate at which these products are formed, to assess the potential burden that they may pose, when the polymer is placed inside the body. Since it takes a long time to obtain the information of the complete degradation process under actual physiological conditions (pH 7.4; 37 deg C), we conducted accelerated hydrolysis studies to examine the degradation pattern of polilactofates.
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