Water-soluble, biodegradable, and biocompatible poly(ester-amide) dendrimers with hydroxyl functional groups are synthesized from previously prepared AB(2) adduct of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propanoic acid (bis-MPA) and glycine as a repeating unit. Two esterification procedures using different coupling reagent/catalyst systems (DCC/DPTS or EDC/DMAP) are studied with respect to efficiency, ease of products purification, and quality of the final products. Both procedures have their own benefits and drawbacks, depending on dendrimer generation. The synthesized poly(ester-amide) dendrimers as well as commercially available bis-MPA dendrimers, poly(ester-amide) hyperbranched polymer, and poly(vinyl alcohol) are used for preparation of solid dispersions of sulfonylurea antidiabetic drug glimepiride to improve its poor water-solubility. In vitro dissolution studies show in comparison with pure glimepiride in crystalline or amorphous form, to the same extent improved glimepiride solubility for solid dispersions based on dendritic polymers, but not for poly(vinyl alcohol). The amount of glimepiride complexed with both dendrimer types increases with dendrimer generation. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014, 52, 3292-3301