Polyanhydrides are a class of
biodegradable polymers characterized by
anhydride bonds that connect
repeat units of the polymer
backbone chain. Their main application is in the medical device and pharmaceutical industry.
In vivo, polyanhydrides degrade into non-toxic diacid
monomers that can be metabolized and eliminated from the body. Owing to their safe degradation products, polyanhydrides are considered to be biocompatible.