Controlled release rate of a lipophilic drug (BCNU) from a refillable silicone rubber device.

The release rates of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), an anticancer drug, from various kinds of silicone and silicone-nylon implantable and refillable devices were investigated in vitro. The devices were made with different surface areas and wall thicknesses. The relation of the release rate at steady state to the surface area and the relation of the release rate per unit surface area to the wall thickness were determined. The relationship among the release rate, the surface area, and the wall thickness was analyzed using the multiple regression method, and is represented on a three-dimensional graph. The multiple regression equation predicts the release rate from the surface area and the wall thickness; the release rate can also be read from a nomogram that is presented.