Serina's technology is focused on the development of biocompatible polymers for drug delivery and formulation. Our lead polymer is poly (2-alkyl-2-oxazoline) or POZ. Linear and branched POZ has been prepared by Serina scientists with molecular weights between 500 to 40,000 Daltons and with narrow polydispersity values and pharmaceutical grade purity. The alkyl side chains present on POZ can either be methyl, ethyl or propyl. While methyl and ethyl oxazoline polymers are highly water soluble, propyl oxazoline polymers are sparingly water soluble. This property allows for the synthesis of custom POZ homo- and co-polymers with different hydrophilic-lipophilic ratios. POZ can be activated on its side chains or at its termini. Beyond historical toxicity studies and experience in food/food container applications, we have performed studies and have shown that POZ is safe and non-toxic in animals in doses up to 2g/kg.
POZ has the following properties
- Stable at room temperature, in water and at ambient atmospheres.
- Has no cloud point: has not been shown to be insoluble under extreme temperature conditions
- Possesses inherently low viscosity: up to 80% lower than other polymers
- Propagates diol-free
- Cannot form peroxides
- Has a large hydrodynamic volume which allows for better pharmacokinetic profiles
- High drug loading capacity; i.e. able to deliver up to 50% by weight of a pharmaceutical conjugate
- Can be tailored to passively deliver molecules to and across cell membranes
- Can be tailored to actively target certain cell types
Polymer-drug conjugates can be limited because of their inability to cross cell membranes. Certain POZ moieties have been shown to deliver sparingly insoluble small molecules across cell membranes, which opens up polymeric delivery systems for intracellular targets for the first time.
POZ is safe
- Non-immunogenic
- Used as indirect food additive and in some cosmetics
- No adverse effect levels at > 2g/kg intravenously when tested in rodents
- Cleared readily
