The high-value application of biodegradable/bioabsorbable polymers in the field
of drug delivery, has led to the patenting of many of the existing as well
as newly developed biomedical polymers such as polyanhydrides and poly-
phosphoesters. Thus efforts have intensified towards development of new
patentable polymers which can be used in the field of biomedicine. Such a
product development includes various steps briefly outlined herein:
- Synthesis of a novel polymer which has a structure that is unique enough to be patented
- Studying the degradation characteristics of this polymer (whether it degrades in a reasonable time period as required by its application; whether the degradation profile is controllable/predictable).
- Study the degradation products (whether such products are bioabsorbable or toxic).
- Study the drug release profiles, drug-polymer interactions, stability of the drug in the polymer etc.
- Carry out clinical tests in animals to study the drug release and polymer degradation in vivo.
I am presently developing a page which examines the development of such
biomaterials, starting with a look at different research groups involved in
the development of such materials. You are welcome to take a look at Biomaterials Research Groups
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Robert Langer, MIT