Polymers such as poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) have been used to prepare hydrogels for wound dressing applications but are not inherently bioactive. For enhanced healing, the release of physically admixed therapeutics from hydrogels has been evaluated, but with limited control over drug release profiles. To overcome these limitations, PVP was blended with salicylic acid-based poly(anhydride-esters) (SAPAE) and shown to exhibit hydrogel properties upon swelling. In vitro release studies demonstrated that the chemically incorporated drug (SA) was released from the polymer blends over 3–4 days in contrast to 3 hours, as observed with diffusion-controlled hydrogels. Generally, blends of higher PVP content displayed greater swelling values and faster SA release. The polymer blends significantly reduce the inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, in vitro without cytotoxic or anti-proliferative effects, further demonstrating their potential as a wound dressing with enhanced healing and decreased scar tissue formation.

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