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, 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 d in contrast to 3 h, and that blends of higher PVP content displayed greater swelling values and faster SA release. The polymer blends significantly the inflammatory cytokine, TNF-α, in vitro without negative effects.