Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Gels and Drug Delivery

Poly(ethylene glycols) (or PEGs) have been utilized in various forms in pharmaceutical preparations for many years. They are used as additives to creams, as solubilizing agents, and as components of injectable formulations. In the form of surface active agents they are widely used in the formulation of a variety of products in both the foodstuffs and in the pharmaceutical industries. Their toxicity is considered to be adequate for many uses on or in the body. They thus provide a very attractive group of materials for the synthesis of novel “tailor-made” polymers for drug delivery or other therapeutic use. In the form of copolymers these materials have been licensed for use as both drug delivery and wound healing. This chapter describes work done to synthesize new and useful polymers based on this class of starting materials.