title: Polymer therapeutics as nanomedicines: new perspectives.
abstract: A growing number of polymer therapeutics have entered routine clinical use as nano-sized medicines. Early products were developed as anticancer agents, but treatments for a range of diseases and different routes of administration have followed--recently the PEGylated-anti-TNF Fab Cimzia® for rheumatoid arthritis and the PEG-aptamer Macugen® for age related macular degeneration. New polymer therapeutic concepts continue to emerge with a growing number of conjugates entering clinical development, for example PEGylated-aptamers and a polymer-based siRNA delivery system. 'Hot' topics of the past 2 years include; emerging issues relating to polymer safety, the increasing use of biodegradable polymers, design of technologies for combination therapy, potential biomarkers for patient individualisation of treatment and Regulatory challenges for 'follow-on/generic' polymer therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Polymer Therapeutics Lab., Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Av. Autopista del Saler 16 E-46012, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Duncan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011108:Polymers