Modification to delivery polymer sidesteps allergic response

Researchers from Duke University have reconfigured the popular drug-delivery polymer, polyethylene glycol, to sidestep dangerous immune responses that have previously halted clinical trials at Duke. The team’s work was published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. Polyethylene glycol, PEG, is a polymer that is found in toothpaste and cosmetics, but is often used in pharmaceuticals. It can be attached to active drugs in the bloodstream, thus slowing the body’s ability to clear them and lengthening the duration that the drug can be useful. But because this polymer is so widely used, many people have developed antibodies to the polymer, which can cause allergic reactions when the PEG-modified drugs are introduced to the body. The team at Duke created an modified version of PEG that can avoid recognition by antibodies. Get the full story at our sister site, Drug Delivery Business News. The post Modification to delivery polymer sidesteps allergic response appeared first on MassDevice.
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Tags: Drug-Device Combinations Pharmaceuticals Research & Development Duke University Source Type: news