Avoiding ketoprofen plasticization during microparticle manufacturing: the case of hydrotalcite

Anti-inflammatory drugs with aryl-propionic structure showed plasticizing effect on different polymers, causing problems during manufacturing of polymeric devices. For example, during the preparation of polymer microparticles, the presence of a plasticizing drug can hinder the recovery of microparticles, especially when polymers with low molecular weight are employed. To reduce plasticization of polyesters, the anti-inflammatory drug ketoprofen (K) was included in hydrotalcite (HTlc) and encapsulated in polylactide (PLA) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), obtaining composite microparticles.