Therapeutic polymeric nanoparticle compositions with high glass transition temperature or high molecular weight copolymers

1. A method for identifying therapeutic polymeric nanoparticle compositions with a desired therapeutic agent release rate profile, comprising:

a) separately preparing a plurality of first aqueous suspensions each comprising polymeric nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles comprise i) about 3 to about 40 weight percent of a therapeutic agent, and ii) about 40 to about 90 weight percent of a block copolymer having at least on hydrophobic portion, wherein the block copolymer is poly(D,L-lactic) acid-poly(ethylene)glycol or poly(lactic) acid-co-poly(glycolic) acid-poly(ethylene)glycol; wherein each first aqueous suspension is in a separate compartment;

b) determining the nanoparticle glass transition temperature of each of the first aqueous suspensions;

c) varying the amount or molecular weight of the hydrophobic portion of the block copolymer in each of the first aqueous suspensions, if the glass transition temperature of step b) is below 37° C.;

d) repeating steps b) and c) until a second aqueous suspension with a glass transition temperature of between about 37° C. and about 50° C. and the desired therapeutic agent release rate profile is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

e) confirming the determined drug release rate from the second aqueous suspension using an in vitro dissolution test.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a taxane agent.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the taxane agent is docetaxel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the poly(D,L-lactic) acid portion of the block copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 16 kDa, and the poly(ethylene)glycol portion of the block copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 5 kDa.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired drug release rate of the therapeutic agent from the therapeutic polymeric nanoparticle composition is less than about 50% as determined in an in vitro dissolution test at a 4 hour time point.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired drug release rate of the therapeutic agent from the therapeutic polymeric nanoparticle composition is between about 70 to about 100% as determined in an in vitro dissolution test at a 4 hour time point.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass transition temperature is determined by modulated differential scanning calorimetry.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the glass transition temperature is determined by differential scanning calorimetry.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the in vitro dissolution test comprises suspension and centrifuge.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of vinca alkaloids, nitrogen mustard agents, mTOR inhibitors, and boronate esters or peptide boronic acid compounds.

12. A method for screening nanoparticle suspensions to identify a suspension having a specific release rate, comprising:

a) separately preparing a plurality of suspensions having nanoparticles comprising:

a therapeutic agent,

about 40 to about 99 weight percent block copolymer having: at least one hydrophobic portion selected from poly(D,L-lactic) acid or poly(lactic) acid-co-poly(glycolic) acid, and a poly(ethylene)glycol portion, and optionally a homopolymer selected from poly(D,L-lactic) acid or poly(lactic) acid-co-poly(glycolic) acid; wherein each suspension is in a separate compartment, each suspension comprises a pre-determined molecular weight of the block copolymer and if present, a pre-determined molecular weight of the homopolymer;

b) determining the glass transition temperature of each of the suspensions;

c) identifying the suspension having a pre-determined glass transition temperature thereby identifying a suspension with the specific release rate, wherein the pre-determined glass transition temperature is between about 37° C. and about 39.5° C.