Postdoc Johnson and Johnson Innovative medicine, Belgium
Introduction: Biodegradable polymer implants enable sustained drug delivery for chronic conditions. Hot-melt extrusion (HME) is widely used but requires large amounts of materials, limiting its use in early-stage studies. To provide a more flexible, efficient option, we tested vacuum compression molding (VCM) with custom molds to produce milligram-scale implants. Fenofibrate implants made by VCM and HME were compared in vitro and in vivo to assess VCM as a preclinical alternative.
Learning Objectives:
Learn how VCM enables flexible, low‑material implant manufacturing.
Compare VCM and HME implant properties and drug release profiles.
Understand HME limitations for early-stage implant development.
