Polymers in Drug Delivery

Polymers in drug delivery play many crucial roles in pharmaceutical formulation, including controlled release systems, encapsulation, tablet coatings, and biologic conjugation to enhance bioavailability or improving substance stability during formulation. They are also used in pharmaceutical inks, colorants, cosmetics, and wound care products.  

Polymers used in pharmaceutical formulations have revolutionized drug delivery systems, enabling controlled release, specific targeting, and improved therapeutic effects. They help mask undesirable drug properties, alter pharmacokinetics, and enhance bioavailability. Modern polymer drug delivery systems offer solutions like increased solubility, viscosity modifiers, increased biodegradability, and pH dependence, fillers, binders, swellability, advanced coatings, hydrogels, disintegrants, mucoadhesion, tunable release of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, nanoparticle formation, nanofibers and inhibition of crystallization. Multifunctional polymers also provide benefits like enzyme inhibition, stimuli sensitivity, intestinal epithelium penetration enhancement, the ability to interact with enzymes responsible for drug metabolism and taste masking. 

Polymer excipients constitute a very large and varied group of substances, including macromolecular compounds of natural origin, e.g., sodium alginate, gelatin, chitosan and cellulose derivatives; semisynthetic polymers; synthetic polymers, such as polyethylene glycols, poloxamers, polylactides, polyamides, acrylic acid polymers; and fermentation products, such as xanthan gum. 

Characterization services for polymers in drug delivery

Intertek supports the development of novel polymer pharmaceutical ingredients through analysis, stability, and quality testing, providing essential data for regulatory submissions. Intertek specializes in polymer analysis, characterizing reactive oligomers, residual monomers, and other organic volatile impurities (OVIs) in healthcare products. We provide comprehensive characterization services for both synthetic polymer excipients (PEGs, PLGA, PLA, and a wide range of polysaccharides), and naturally derived polymer excipients. including: 

• Molecular weight (MW) analysis 
• Physical characterization (particle size, surface area) 
• Residual solvents, benzene determination 
• Functional groups analysis 
• Copolymer quantification (e.g Poloxamer PEO-PPO-PEO ratios) 
• Impurity analysis 
• Dissolution 
• Thermal, mechanical and spectroscopic testing 
• Nanoparticle characterisation 
• Drug delivery system assessment 
• SEM analysis 
• Protein and biological polymer characterization 
• Collagen analysis 
• GMP quality control and batch comparison 
• API-excipient compatibility 
• Formulation development support 

Poloxmer characterisation 
Poloxamers are block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), which have an amphiphilic character and useful association and adsorption properties but have low physiological toxicity. Poloxamers are used in applications that require solubilization or stabilization of compounds, hydrogels, nanoparticle synthesis, poloxamer-modified hydrophobic particles and more. We provide average molecular weight, weight percent of oxyethylene, limits of free ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and 1,4- dioxane. 

Carbomers in healthcare formulations
Carbomers are synthetic, high molecular weight, nonlinear polymers of polyacrylic acids cross-linked with a polyalkenyl polyether used as excipients and ingredient in personal care formulations.  Used as thickening agents; rheology modifiers; bioadhesive polymers; controlled-release agents; emulsifying agents; stabilizing agents; suspending agents; and tablet binders and more. The Intertek team provides robust analytical data on molecular weight, polymerization solvent or side groups.  

Bringing quality and safety to life, we offer Total Quality Assurance expertise to help you to meet and exceed quality, safety and regulatory standards for polymers in drug deliver and pharmaceutical formulations.