AIM: To prepare cisplatin multivesicular liposomes with high encapsulation efficiency and sustained-release character, and compare the release characteristics with conventional liposomes prepared by reverse-phase evaporation method. METHODS: Cisplatin multivesicular liposomes were prepared using multiple emulsion method. The concentrations of cisplatin and lipids in the liposomes were measured by flameless atomic absorbance spectroscopy (FAAS) and phosphalipid enzyme reagent method, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency, size and release of the cisplatin from the liposomes were studied in vitro. RESULTS: The mean diameter of cisplatin multivesicular liposomes was (16.6 +/- 1.0) micron. The encapsulation efficiency of cisplatin was more than 80%. The release profile in vitro fitted with a first-order equation. The releasing t1/2 of cisplatin multivesicular liposomes is 37.7 h, which is 8.4 that of conventional liposomes. Co-membrane stabilizer has remarkable stabilizing effect on the multivesicular liposomal membrane confirmed by differential scattering calorimetry (DSC). CONCLUSION: The cisplatin multivesicular liposomes showed high encapsulation efficiency and sustained-release character.