Novel biodegradable polymers for local growth factor delivery.

Growth factors represent an important therapeutic protein drug class, and would benefit significantly from formulations that provide sustained, local release to realize their full clinical potential. Biodegradable polymer-based delivery platforms have been examined to achieve this end; however, formulations based on conventional polymers have yet to yield a clinical product. This review examines new polymer biomaterials that have been developed for growth factor delivery. The dosage forms are discussed in terms of their mechanism of release, the stability of the released growth factor, their method of preparation, and their potential for clinical translation.