A drug delivery system that includes a hydrogel formed from cyclodextrin
and an amphiphilic copolymer that includes an A polymer block comprising
a poly(alkylene oxide) and a B polymer block comprising a
poly(hydroxyalkanoate), and a therapeutically effective amount of at
least one therapeutic agent intimately contained within the hydrogel. In
one preferred embodiment of the invention, the A polymer block is
poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and the B polymer block is
poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB), and the copolymer is the triblock ABA
copolymer PEO-PHB-PEO. A method of synthesizing the amphiphilic triblock
copolymer is also provided.