Polymer Therapeutics

Polymer therapeutics have attained clinical proof-of-concept with multiple marketed products and two polymer therapeutics reaching the US top-ten best-selling drugs.

However, there still exist opportunities to expand and develop this platform in areas such as i) delivery of single/combination anti-cancer agents against novel molecular targets, ii) development of innovative polymeric materials with defined architectures, and (iii) treatment of diseases other than cancer, including neurodegeneration.

The Polymer Therapeutics Laboratory at the CIPF focuses on these exciting research areas. Our research activity includes the design of advanced polymer conjugates - novel therapeutic and/or diagnostic tools with applications in metastatic cancer, neurodegeneration, and tissue regeneration, among others.

The development of polypeptide-based biodegradable carriers, the use of combination therapies, and the design of nanoconjugates for novel molecular targets represent approaches we follow to achieve effective treatment options. Additionally, the implementation of quantitative tools to assess the fate of polymer therapeutics allows the investigation of how spatial conformation affects trafficking, pharmacokinetics, and whole body biodistribution, so allowing the exploration of a range of clinical applications.