Poly(ortho esters): Some recent developments

Poly(ortho esters) have been under development since the early 1970's and four distinct families have been investigated. The latest family, POE IV, is an autocatalyzed polymer that contains a latent acid in the polymer backbone, where erosion rates can be adjusted by varying the concentration of the latent acid, and mechanical properties of the polymer can be adjusted by choice of monomers. Thus, POE IV is a highly versatile material that is currently being commercialized for the treatment of post-operative pain and nausea.