INTRODUCTION

Incorporating a broad range of pharmaceutical- or biologics-loaded fibers into implantable medical devices that could enable next-generation medical applications was previously not feasible because the types of drugs capable of surviving traditional fiber manufacturing processes were historically limited. Pharmaceutical- and biologics-loaded implantable textiles can result in faster healing and improved patient compliance of medical devices. However, traditional melt extrusion processes used to manufacture fibers destroyed the viability of all but a very limited selection of pharmaceuticals and biologics, given the high temperatures at which melt extrusion must occur – which often exceeds 200ºC and high shear stress during extrusion. Now, modified wet-extrusion processes can occur at room temperature, eliminating the traditional temperature limitations of pharmaceuticals and biologics that may be incorporated into implantable medical devices and therapies with melt extrusion processes. As a result, the range of drugs now available for controlled sustained delivery from a fiber has been broadly expanded from those previously deliverable via electrospun fibers, microspheres, or nanoparticles. Using drug protection technology, the biological activity of incorporated agents can now be preserved so that the broadest range of pharmaceuticals and biologics ever possible remain viable when loaded into biodegradable fibers for use in implantable devices that can support controlled sustained delivery.

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