Abstract
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is the only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved anabolic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis. The anabolic action of PTH depends on the mode of PTH administration. Pulsatile administration promotes bone formation, however continuous PTH exposure results in bone resorption. In addition, the therapeutic effect of PTH is optimal when the dose and duration fit the therapeutic window. Current PTH treatment requires daily injection, which is neither a convenient nor a favorable choice of patients. Here, an implantable and biodegradable device capable of long-term pulsatile delivery of PTH is developed as a patient-friendly alternative. The advanced materials and fabrication techniques developed in this work enable us to preprogram a pulsatile delivery device to systemically deliver 21 daily pulses of PTH that build bone in vivo. In addition, the device is biodegradable and absorbable in vivo so that no retraction procedure is needed. Therefore, this implantable and biodegradable pulsatile device holds promise to promote bone growth and treat various conditions of bone loss without the burden of daily injections or secondary surgeries.