pH-sensitive polymer

1. A pharmaceutical composition comprising:

a pH-sensitive polymer or a conjugate of a pH-sensitive polymer,

optionally, at least one pharmacologically active ingredient, and,

optionally, at least one pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient;

wherein said pH-sensitive polymer comprises:

20 to 65% by weight of methacrylic acid units, and

80 to 35% by weight of units of C 1 -C 18 -alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid; and

wherein said pH-sensitive polymer has a molecular weight in the range from 1,000 to 50,000 g/mol, and brings about at least 60% haemolysis at pH 5.5, and less than 5% haemolysis at pH 7.4, at a concentration of 150 μg/ml in a cytotoxicity test with human red blood cells.

2. The composition of claim 1 , which comprises an unconjugated pH-sensitive polymer.

3. The composition of claim 1 , which comprises a non-covalently associated complex of a pH-sensitive polymer and a protein or peptide.

4. The composition of claim 1 , which comprises a non-covalently associated complex of a pH-sensitive polymer and a polynucleotide.

5. The composition of claim 1 , which comprises a non-covalently associated complex of a pH-sensitive polymer and a carbohydrate or lipid.

6. The composition of claim 1 , which comprises a non-covalently associated complex of a pH-sensitive polymer and a drug.

7. The composition of claim 1 , which comprises a conjugate of a pH-sensitive polymer covalently bound to at least one pharmacologically active ingredient.

8. The composition claim 1 , which comprises a conjugate of a pH-sensitive polymer covalently bound to a protein or peptide.

9. The composition claim 1 , which comprises a conjugate of a pH-sensitive polymer covalently bound to a nucleic acid.

10. The composition claim 1 , which comprises a conjugate of a pH-sensitive polymer covalently bound to a carbohydrate or lipid.

11. The composition claim 1 , which comprises a conjugate of a pH-sensitive polymer covalently bound to a drug.

12. The composition of claim 1 in the form of a microparticle, nanoparticle, liposome, emulsion and/or lipid vesicle.

13. A method for making a composition containing a biomolecule or a drug comprising:

combining said biomolecule or a drug with a pH-sensitive polymer;

wherein said pH-sensitive polymer comprises:

20 to 65% by weight of methacrylic acid units, and

80 to 35% by weight of units of C 1 -C 18 -alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid; and

wherein said pH-sensitive polymer has a molecular weight in the range from 1,000 to 50,000 g/mol, and brings about at least 60% haemolysis at pH 5.5, and less than 5% haemolysis at pH 7.4, at a concentration of 150 μg/ml in a cytotoxicity test with human red blood cells.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said pH-sensitive polymer is a carrier for said biomolecule or drug, complexed with said biomolecule or drug, conjugated to said biomolecule or drug, or said pH-sensitive polymer or drug and pH-sensitive polymer are constituents of a microparticle, nanoparticle, liposome, emulsion and/or lipid vesicle.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said biomolecule or drug is at least one selected from the group consisting of a lipid, protein, peptide, and nucleic acid.

16. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the biomolecule or drug is at least one selected from the group consisting of an analgesic, antiallergic, antirheumatic, antibiotic, antiinfective, antiparkinson agent, antipsoriatic, antitumour agent, dermatological, gout remedy, immunoregulator, gastrointestinal agent, neurotropic agent, opthalmological agent, and cytostatic agent.

17. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said biomolecule or drug is in a dermal, transdermal, parenteral, nasal, pulmonary, vaginal or oral dosage form.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said biomolecule or drug is at least one selected from the group consisting of an oligonucleotide, nucleoside, antisense DNA, antisense RNA, nucleotide, toxin, immunotoxin, antibody, and a fragment of an antibody.

19. A method for treating a disease or disorder comprising administering an effective amount of a composition comprising a pH-sensitive polymer and at least one biomolecule and/or drug to a subject in need thereof;

wherein said pH-sensitive polymer comprises:

20 to 65% by weight of methacrylic acid units, and

80 to 35% by weight of units of C 1 -C 18 -alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid; and

wherein said pH-sensitive polymer has a molecular weight in the range from 1,000 to 50,000 g/mol, and brings about at least 60% haemolysis at pH 5.5, and less than 5% haemolysis at pH 7.4, at a concentration of 150 μg/ml in a cytotoxicity test with human red blood cells.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein said subject in need thereof has at least one disease selected from the group consisting of a cancer, infection, cardiovascular disorder, arthritis, neurodegenerative disorder, genetically-related enzyme-deficiency disorder, hepatitis B or C, mucoviscidosis, hypercholesteraemia, Down's syndrome, muscular dystrophy, an autoimmune disease, shingles and herpes, psoriasis, CMV retinitis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and diabetes.

21. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 , which does not contain transition metal complexes.

22. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 1 comprising:

a pH-sensitive polymer comprising 25 to 65% by weight of methacrylic acid units, and 60 to 35% by weight of units of ethyl acrylate; wherein the pH-sensitive polymer has a molecular weight in the range from 1,000 to 50,000 g/mol, and brings about at least 60% haemolysis at pH 5.5, and less than 5% haemolysis at pH 7.4, at a concentration of 150 μg/ml in a cytotoxicity test with human red blood cells.

23. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 22 , wherein the pH-sensitive polymer comprises 40 to 60% by weight of methacrylic acid units and 60 to 40% by weight of ethyl acrylate units.

24. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 22 , wherein the pH-sensitive polymer comprises 30 to 50% by weight of methacrylic acid units, and 35 to 50% by weight of ethyl acrylate units.

25. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 22 , wherein the pH-sensitive polymer essentially consists of 50 wt. % methacrylic acid and 50 wt. % ethylacrylate; or 30 wt. % methacrylic acid, 35 wt. % ethylacrylate, and 35 wt. % methylacrylate.