The present study evaluates the preparation of risperidone controlled release microspheres as appropriate long-acting injectable formulations based on a series of novel biodegradable and biocompatible poly(lactic acid)⁻poly(propylene adipate) (PLA/PPAd) polymer blends. Initially, PPAd was synthesized using a two-stage melt polycondensation method (esterification and polycondensation) and characterized by 1H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. DSC and XRD results for PLA/PPAd blends (prepared by the solvent evaporation method) showed that these are immiscible, while enzymatic hydrolysis studies performed at 37 °C showed increased mass loss for PPAd compared to PLA. Risperidone-polyester microparticles prepared by the oil⁻water emulsification/solvent evaporation method showed smooth spherical surface with particle sizes from 1 to 15 μm. DSC, XRD, and Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) analyses showed that the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) was dispersed in the amorphous phase within the polymer matrices, whereas in vitro drug release studies showed risperidone controlled release rates in all PLA/PPAd blend formulations. Finally, statistical moment analysis showed that polyester hydrolysis had a major impact on API release kinetics, while in PLA/PPAd blends with high PLA content, drug release was mainly controlled by diffusion.
Keywords: controlled release; long-acting injectable; microspheres; poly(lactic acid); poly(propylene adipate); polyester blends; risperidone.