• Thi Phuc Le, Yang Yu, Ik Sung Cho, Eun Yeong Suh, Hyuk Chan Kwon, Sun-Ae Shin, Yong-Ho Park, and Kang Moo Huh.
• Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.
• J. Korean Med. Sci. 2023 May 1; 38 (17): e135e135.

BackgroundIn this study, we prepared and evaluated an injectable poloxamer (P407) hydrogel formulation for intratympanic (IT) delivery of dexamethasone (DEX).MethodsDEX-loaded P407 hydrogels were characterized in terms of thermogelation, drug loading capacities, particle size, and drug release. The in vivo toxicity and drug absorption of the DEX-loaded P407 formulation after IT injection were evaluated using an animal model by performing histopathological analysis and drug concentration measurements.ResultsThe P407 hydrogel effectively solubilized hydrophobic DEX and demonstrated a sustained release compared to the hydrophilic DEX formulation. The in vivo study showed that the hydrogel formulation delivered considerable drug concentrations to the inner ear and displayed a favorable safety profile without apparent cytotoxicity or inflammation.ConclusionP407 hydrogel can be useful as an injectable inner ear delivery formulation for hydrophobic drugs due to their biocompatibility, drug-solubilizing capacity, thermogelation, and controlled release.© 2023 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

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