Method for the preparation of polymeric micelle via phase separation of block copolymer

1. A method for preparing a biodegradable polymeric micellar composition comprising the steps of:

1) mixing 5 to 95 wt % of a composition consisting essentially of an amphiphilic block copolymer comprising a hydrophilic poly(alkylene glycol) A block and a hydrophobic polymer B block component and 5 to 95 wt % of a phase separation medium consisting essentially of liquid poly(ethylene glycol) and optionally from 0.1 to 10 wt % water, wherein the hydrophobic biodegradable polymer B block component is a member selected from the group consisting of polylactides, polycaprolactone, copolymers of lactide and glycolide, copolymers of lactide and caprolactone, copolymers of lactide and 1,4-dioxan-2-one, polyorthoesters, polyanhydrides, polyphosphazines, poly(amino acid)s and polycarbonates, and heating the resulting mixture until said block copolymer is dissolved in said liquid poly(ethylene glycol);

2) cooling said solution causing said block copolymer to separate from said phase separation medium thereby causing polymeric micelles formation in said solution by phase separation;

3) dialyzing said solution against an excess of water or an aqueous solution to remove the phase separation medium; and

4) freeze-drying said dialyzed aqueous solution thereby forming a polymeric micellar composition in a powdered state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said phase separation medium is a member selected from the group consisting of dihydroxy polyethylene glycol, dialkoxy polyethylene glycol and diacyloxy polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight within the range of 200 to 10,000 Daltons and a melting temperature of less than 65° C.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said phase separation medium further comprises 0.1 to 10 wt % water.

4. A method for preparing a biodegradable polymeric micellar composition which contains a hydrophobic drug, comprising the steps of:

1) mixing a hydrophobic drug and a composition consisting essentially of an amphiphilic block copolymer having a hydrophilic poly(alkylene glycol) A block component and hydrophobic biodegradable polymer B block component and a phase separation medium consisting essentially of liquid poly(ethylene glycol) and optionally 0.1 to 10% by weight water and optionally 0.1 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the drug and the block copolymer, a stabilizing compound selected from the group consisting of mannitol, sorbitol, sucrose and lactose, wherein the hydrophobic biodegradable polymer B block component is a member selected from the group consisting of polylactides, polycaprolactone, copolymers of lactide and glycolide, copolymers of lactide and caprolactone, copolymers of lactide and 1,4-dioxan-2-one, polyorthoesters, polyanhydrides, polyphosphazines, poly(amino acid)s and polycarbonates, and then heating the resulting mixture until said block copolymer is dissolved in said liquid poly(ethylene glycol), wherein said amphiphilic block copolymer in the mixture is 1 to 50% by weight, and said hydrophobic drug is 0.1 to 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the drug and the block copolymer;

2) cooling said solution causing said block copolymer to separate from said poly(ethylene glycol) as polymeric micelles by phase separation;

3) dialyzing said solution against an excess of water or an aqueous solution to remove the liquid polyethylene glycol; and

4) freeze-drying said dialyzed aqueous solution thereby forming a polymeric micellar composition in a powdered state.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said liquid polyethylene glycol is a member selected from the group consisting of dihydroxy polyethylene glycol, dialkoxy polyethylene glycol and diacyloxy polyethylene glycol and has a molecular weight of 200 to 10,000 Daltons and a melting temperature of less than 65° C.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein distilled water is added to said phase separation medium in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight to facilitate the phase separation.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said hydrophobic drug is selected from the group consisting of paclitaxel, cyclosporine, prostaglandin, doxorubicin, testosterone, cisplatin and camptothecin.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein a stabilizing compound selected from the group consisting of mannitol, sorbitol, sucrose, and lactose is added to the mixture of step 1, in an amount of 0.1 to 20% by weight based on the total weight of the drug and the block copolymer.