Issue 23, 2022

Linear and branched polymer prodrugs of the water-soluble nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor emtricitabine as structural materials for long-acting implants

Abstract

Long-acting drug delivery is a growing area of interest as it overcomes many challenges related to patient adherence to therapy and the pill burden associated with chronic illness. Injectable formulations are becoming more common and drug-releasing implants also provide several opportunities. Highly water soluble drug compounds are poor candidates for long-acting delivery. Here, the water-soluble nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor emtricitabine (FTC) has been used as a novel A–B monomer in step-growth polymerisation with chloroformate functional Cn monomers, to produce new poly(carbamate/carbonate) structures with varying architecture. The polymer prodrugs were all solid at ambient temperature and have been shown to release FTC when subjected to mixed gender human plasma. Vacuum compression moulding has been used to form solid rod implants without polymer degradation; the rods show FTC release over long periods in the presence of microsomes, establishing the basis of a polymer prodrug strategy for FTC delivery.

Graphical abstract: Linear and branched polymer prodrugs of the water-soluble nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor emtricitabine as structural materials for long-acting implants

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Apr 2022
Accepted
17 May 2022
First published
19 May 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2022,10, 4395-4404

Linear and branched polymer prodrugs of the water-soluble nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor emtricitabine as structural materials for long-acting implants

A. Shakil, F. Y. Hern, C. Liu, K. Temburnikar, P. Chambon, N. Liptrott, T. O. McDonald, M. Neary, A. Owen, C. Freel Meyers and S. P. Rannard, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2022, 10, 4395 DOI: 10.1039/D2TB00825D

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