Long-acting injectable PLGA/PLA depots for leuprolide acetate: successful translation from bench to clinic.

The excellent properties of polyesters combined with their ease of synthesis and modification enabled their wide use in the pharmaceutical industry. This has been translated into the approval of several injectable depots for clinical use. Long-acting depots for leuprolide acetate were among the first and most successful examples including Lupron Depot and ELIGARD. Studying these products is of great interest for researchers in both industry and academia. This will undoubtedly pave the road for the development of new as well as generic long-acting depots for a variety of drugs.