Hydrogels sensitive to pH, intended for site-specific drug delivery, were prepared from the non-ionic hydrophobic monomers methyl or ethyl acrylate with methacrylic acid using various monomer ratios and with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinking agent. The networks were loaded with two model drugs, betamethasone and proxyphylline, which have very different solubilities. No significant drug release was observed in acidic media, and release only started at pH 5.5 for the poly(methyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) and at pH 6.5 for the poly(ethyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) hydrogels. The drug release mechanism was non-Fickian (anomalous), as analysed by the Peppas power function and bath the swelling inteiface and Deborah numbers. Release was thus partially controlled by the ionization-limited swelling of the network. ln practice, release rate was almost constant over the period of time tested and interestingly, it was not significantly affected either by drug solubility or by drug loading. Release could be modulated by varying the crosslinking ratio as well as the monomer ratio. The release durations appear very compatible with the long transit time of the colon. ln particular, the pH threshold for release of the poly(ethyl acrylate-co-methacrylic acid) hydrogels makes them very promising for such site-specific administration.