Sustained Delivery of Finasteride by Biodegradable System

The study investigated a biodegradable delivery system for finasteride, a treatment for androgenic alopecia, to improve patient compliance by reducing the need for daily oral intake. The system used in situ polymer precipitation with a polymer gel composed of PLGA, triacetin, and N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone. The research found that a higher amount of triacetin and a lower amount of formulation resulted in a more consistent release profile with minimal initial burst release, due to the slow inverting system's low solvent diffusion. In fast inverting systems, the initial burst release was influenced by the depot's surface area, while in slow inverting systems, it was not. Subsequent drug release in both systems was independent of surface area due to the polymer walls entrapping the drug.