Patent ID: 7662864

Claim:
A polymerization process for preparing a polymer from a bifunctional agent that comprises one or more residues in which each bifunctional agent, prior to polymerization, has at least two functional groups that may be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid and hydroxy, wherein when the polymer degrades under physiological conditions in a living organism, one or more residues is released and has a physiological effect, wherein the process comprises: (1) contacting a diacid halide linker with the bifunctional agent under conditions effective to form a monomer compound selected from the group consisting of a HOOC-agent-linker-agent-COOH, a OH-agent-linker-agent-OH, and a HOOC-agent-linker-agent-OH compound or a salt thereof; and (2) a polymerization step comprising contacting the monomer compound, or salt thereof in the presence of (a) an acylating or dehydrating agent and (b) an acid-acceptor, wherein the contacting is in a non-aqueous solvent, or in the non-aqueous portion of a heterogeneous aqueous-non-aqueous solvent system for the monomer compound, under conditions of temperature and pressure effective to form an agent-linker-agent polymer having a molecular weight of at least 100,000 Dalton.