Poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide)

Poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) is a biodegradable and biocompatible copolymer synthesized from the ring opening polymerization of lactide and glycolide. Due to the ester linkages found in the polymer backbone, these polymers are able to degrade via hydrolysis. Depending on the ratio of monomers used and polymer block structure, different forms of PLGA can be obtained. These differing forms yield materials with different degrees of crystallinity, thermal transitions, solubility, and rates of degradation.

Poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) is a biodegradable and biocompatible copolymer for use in biomedical research devices, such as grafts, sutures, implants, prosthetic devices, surgical sealant films, scaffolds for tissue engineering applications, micro and nanoparticles. PLGA is also utilized in drug delivery research, such as in the synthesis and application of polymer-drug conjugates.