Enhanced Drug Loading in Polymeric Nanoparticles Via Micellization in Supercritical Fluids

Block copolymer micelles used for drug delivery are normally formed and processed in aqueous solutions. A major challenge in this area is how to increase the concentration of hydrophobic drugs in the nanoparticle core. Other issues are the lengthy dialysis procedure and the inefficient freeze dry procedure. We address these issues by first processing the polymeric nanoparticles in highly compressible non-aqueous solvents, such as subcritical and supercritical polar fluids, followed by dispersion in an aqueous medium. The resulting nanoparticle solution is obtained in a fraction of the time with enhanced drug loading as compared to conventional preparation methods.