What are the main applications of polyethylene glycol?

Pegylation technology is widely used. In addition to protein/peptide drugs, it can also combine with small molecule drugs and nucleotides to form corresponding polyethylene glycol modified drugs. In addition, peg derivatives can be used to seal blood vessels and insulate tissues.

Proteins/peptides are used to modify polyethylene glycol drugs.

At present and in the future, there are many researches on protein, peptide and other drug decoration using bioengineering technology in peg industry, especially the modification of interferon, human insulin, erythropoietin, interleukin and growth hormone. PEG technique can prolong the half-life of these drugs, reduce their immunogenicity and improve their water solubility.

Protein polypeptide drugs are composed of a variety of amino acids. After the effect on the human body, generally discharged quickly by the kidney, or because of the decomposition of a large number of enzymes and proteins in the body and loss of vitality. So, these drugs have a very short effect and can change significantly in the short term. In addition, the drug can be recognized outside the body by the human immune system as foreign, leading to more side effects.

Synthesis of a specific polyethylene glycol derivative (whose end group usually readily binds to a specific protein or peptide) and combination with the protein/peptide drug to form a protein/peptide drug modified with polyethylene glycol. Because PEG derivatives further improve the relative molecular weight of drugs, and not easy to degrade, through the kidney filter out of the body, prolong the effective concentration of drugs in vivo maintenance time; Long-chain PEG derivatives wrap drugs, preventing rapid hydrolysis or recognition by the immune system; Stabilize blood concentration and reduce dosage.

Pegylated drugs can significantly delay the decrease of drug concentration in tissues, while pegylated drugs can prolong the drug release period of single injection, thus reducing the number of doses. Due to the continuous recombination of protein, the number of patients taking medication was reduced from once a day or even several days to once a week, greatly alleviating the physical and mental pain caused by frequent injection, improving patients' compliance to a certain extent, and avoiding secondary pollution caused by frequent injection. In the long term, this can also reduce the burden of treatment for patients. Therefore, the long-term recombinant protein market is easy to be accepted by patients and the market response is good. In the future, short-term drug use will further transition to long-term drug use, and the market size of POLYETHYLENE glycol modified drugs will also expand.