PC Technology™ as a platform for drug delivery: from combination to conjugation

Abstract

Hydrogel polymers incorporating phosphorylcholine have found widespread use in the manufacture of medical devices with improved haemo- and biocompatibility. Examples include soft contact lenses or coatings for devices, such as coronary stents and extracorporeal circuits. The advent of drug-device combinations has prompted the application of PC Technology™ (Biocompatibles UK Ltd) as a bioinert drug delivery vehicle, particularly in the form of coatings, for targeted delivery from a device surface. The flexible polymer chemistry employed in the synthesis of these materials offers a range of molecular architectures that could find applicability in a wide variety of drug delivery applications, including micellar, vesicular and gel systems, and even drug conjugation.

Keywords::

• biocompatibility
• combination product
• gene therapy
• hydrogels
• medical device
• micelles
• PCylation
• phosphorylcholine
• stimulus-responsive materials
• targeted drug delivery