Small polymeric carriers for delivery of agents

1. A polymer, comprising:

(1) an alkylene polymer backbone,

(2) a first plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone and comprising a therapeutic or diagnostic agent comprising a plurality of hydroxyl groups, and

(3) a second plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone and comprising at least one hydrophilic polymer,

wherein the first plurality of pendant groups is attached to the alkylene polymer backbone via a linking moiety comprising at least one benzyl group which is interactive via π-π stacking.

2. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone comprises a therapeutic agent.

3. The polymer of claim 2 , wherein the therapeutic agent comprises a nucleoside.

4. The polymer of claim 3 wherein the nucleoside is selected from the group consisting of gemcitabine, azacytidine, and cytarabine.

5. The polymer of claim 3 wherein the nucleoside is gemcitabine.

6. The polymer of claim 1 wherein the therapeutic agent or diagnostic agent is covalently attached to the first linking moiety, via a moiety that is labile in vivo.

7. The polymer of claim 6 , wherein the moiety that is labile in vivo comprises at least one of an ester bond, an orthoester bond, a thioether-ester bond, an anhydride bond, an amid bond, a carbonate bond, a disulfide bond, a hydrazone bond, a cic-acotinyl bond, an acetal bond, a carboxydimethyl maleate bond, an imine bond, an oxime bond, a silyl ether bond, a ketal bond, a thioketal bond and a protease cleavable peptide.

8. The polymer of claim 7 , wherein the moiety that is labile in vivo comprises at least one of an ester bond and a disulfide bond.

9. The polymer of claim 6 wherein a plurality of the polymers forms a micelle having a diameter no greater than 50 nm.

10. The polymer of claim 1 wherein the second plurality of pendant groups is attached to the alkylene polymeric backbone via a second linking group comprising a hydrolytically labile group.

11. The polymer of claim 10 wherein the hydrolytically labile group is an ester group, an orthoester group, a thioether-ester group, an anhydride group, an amide group, or a carbonate group.

12. The polymer of claim 11 wherein the hydrolytically labile group is an ester group.

13. The polymer of claim 10 , wherein the at least one hydrophilic polymer has a molecular weight in the range of from 500 Da to 2 kDa.

14. The polymer of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hydrophilic polymer is selected from the group consisting of: a polyalkylene oxide, a polyvinylalcohol, a polyacrylic acid, a polyacrylamide, a polyoxazoline, a polysaccharide, and a polypeptide.

15. The polymer of claim 14 , wherein the at least one hydrophilic polymer is a polyethylene glycol.

16. The polymer of claim 14 , wherein the at least one hydrophilic polymer has a molecular weight in the range of from 100 Da to 5 kDa.

17. A polymer, comprising:

(1) an alkylene polymer backbone,

(2) a plurality of first pendant groups, comprising at least one nucleoside,

(3) a plurality of first linking moieties, linking the first pendant groups to the alkylene polymer backbone,

(4) a plurality of second pendant groups, comprising a polyalkylene oxide, and

(5) a plurality of second linking moieties, linking the second pendant groups to the alkylene polymer backbone,

wherein:

each first linking moiety comprises a group selected from

each second linking moiety comprises a hydrolytically labile group selected from the group consisting of an ester group, an orthoester group, a thioether-ester group, an anhydride group, an amide group, or a carbonate group.

18. The polymer of claim 17 , wherein the at least one nucleoside is selected from the group consisting of gemcitabine, azacytidine, and cytarabine.

19. The polymer of claim 17 , wherein the at least one nucleoside is gemcitabine.

20. The polymer of claim 17 wherein the nucleoside is covalently attached to the first linking moiety via a moiety that is labile in vivo.

21. The polymer of claim 20 , wherein the moiety that is labile in vivo comprises at least one of an ester bond and a disulfide bond.

22. The polymer of claim 17 , wherein each second pendant group comprises polyethylene glycol (PEG).

23. The polymer of claim 22 , wherein each second pendant group and second linking moiety taken together are selected from the group consisting of:

24. The polymer of claim 23 , wherein the PEG has a molecular weight in the range of 100 Da to 5 kDa.

25. The polymer of claim 24 , wherein the PEG has a molecular weight in the range of from 500 Da to 2 kDa.

26. The polymer of claim 17 , which is

27. A formulation, comprising:

i) a plurality of polymers comprising: (1) an alkylene polymer backbone, (2) a first plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone and comprising a therapeutic or diagnostic agent comprising a plurality of hydroxyl groups, and (3) a second plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone and comprising at least one hydrophilic polymer, and

ii) at least a first compound which is a hydrophobic therapeutic compound or a hydrophobic diagnostic compound,

wherein at least one of the first plurality or the second plurality of pendant groups is attached to the alkylene polymer backbone via a linking moiety comprising at least one aryl group which is interactive via π-π stacking, and

wherein the plurality of polymers self-assemble in an aqueous environment into nanocarriers into which the first compound is loaded.

28. The formulation of claim 27 further comprising at least a second compound which is a therapeutic compound or a diagnostic compound and which is loaded into the nanocarriers.

29. The formulation of claim 28 wherein the second compound is a chemotherapeutic compound, an antiviral compound, an antibiotic compound, an antimycotic compound, an anticancer compound, an anti-rejection compound, an analgesic compound, an antioxidant compound, an immunomodulating compound, or an anti-inflammatory compound.

30. The formulation of claim 29 wherein the second compound is a small molecule therapeutic compound.

31. The formulation of claim 29 wherein the first compound and the second compound are independently selected from the group consisting of JP4-039, paclitaxel, docetaxel, FK506 (tacrolimus), cyclosporin A, a protoporphyrin, GW4064 (3-(2,6-Dichlorophenyl)-4-(3′-carboxy-2-chlorostilben-4-yl)oxymethyl-5-isopropylisoxazole), rose bengal, epigallocatechin gallate, simvastatin, curcumin, indomethacin, JQ1, I-BET 151, I-BET 762, resiquimod, riluzole, tamoxifen, NLG-919 (an indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) pathway inhibitor), sunitinib, imatinib, erlotinib, gefitinib, cetuximab, 10058-F4(5-[(4-ethylphenyl)methylene]-2-thioxo-4-thiazolidinone), cladribine, fludarabine, nelarabine, troxacitabine, capecitabine, 2′-fluoro-2′-deoxyadenosine, acyclovir, tenofovir, lamivudine, entecavir, GS-441524, GS-5734, 2′-C-methyladenosine, 7-deaza-2′-C-methyl-adenosine, 2′-C-methylguanosine, INX-08189, 2′-C-methylcytidine, 2′-C-methyluridine, 2′-C-ethynyladenosine, NITD008, NITD449, NITD203, 4′-C-azidocytidine, balapiravir, RO-9187, BCX4430, ribavirin, 6-azauridine, and 9-deazaadenosine.

32. The formulation of claim 27 wherein the first compound is a small molecule compound.

33. The formulation of claim 27 wherein the first compound is a chemotherapeutic compound, an antiviral compound, an antibiotic compound, an antimycotic compound, an anticancer compound, an anti-rejection compound, an analgesic compound, an antioxidant compound, an immunomodulating compound, or an anti-inflammatory compound.

34. The formulation of claim 33 wherein the first compound is JP4-039, paclitaxel, docetaxel, FK506 (tacrolimus), cyclosporin A, a protoporphyrin, GW4064 (3-(2,6-Dichlorophenyl)-4-(3′-carboxy-2-chlorostilben-4-yl)oxymethyl-5-isopropylisoxazole), rose bengal, epigallocatechin gallate, simvastatin, curcumin, indomethacin, JQ1, I-BET 151, I-BET 762, resiquimod, riluzole, tamoxifen, NLG-919 (an indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) pathway inhibitor), sunitinib, imatinib, erlotinib, gefitinib, cetuximab, 10058-F4 (5-[(4-ethylphenyl)methylene]-2-thioxo-4-thiazolidinone), cladribine, fludarabine, nelarabine, troxacitabine, capecitabine, 2′-fluoro-2′-deoxyadenosine, acyclovir, tenofovir, lamivudine, entecavir, GS-441524, GS-5734, 2′-C-methyladenosine, 7-deaza-2′-C-methyl-adenosine, 2′-C-methylguanosine, INX-08189, 2′-C-methylcytidine, 2′-C-methyluridine, 2′-C-ethynyladenosine, NITD008, NITD449, NITD203, 4′-C-azidocytidine, balapiravir, RO-9187, BCX4430, ribavirin, 6-azauridine, or 9-deazaadenosine.

35. The formulation of claim 27 wherein the first linking moiety comprises a benzyl group which is interactive via π-π stacking.

36. The formulation of claim 27 wherein the first plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone comprises a therapeutic agent.

37. The formulation of claim 36 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a nucleoside.

38. The formulation of claim 37 wherein the nucleoside is selected from the group consisting of gemcitabine, azacytidine, and cytarabine.

39. The formulation of claim 27 wherein the therapeutic agent or diagnostic agent is covalently attached to the first linking moiety, via a moiety that is labile in vivo.

40. The formulation of claim 39 wherein the nanocarriers are micelles having a diameter no greater than 50 nm.

41. The formulation of claim 40 wherein the micelles have a loading capacity for the first compound of at least 4% by weight.

42. A method of formulating a composition for delivery of a first compound, which is a hydrophobic therapeutic compound or a hydrophobic diagnostic compound, comprising:

mixing (A) a plurality of polymers comprising (1) an alkylene polymer backbone, (2) a first plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone and comprising a therapeutic or diagnostic agent comprising a plurality of hydroxyl groups, and (3) a second plurality of pendant groups attached to the alkylene polymer backbone and comprising at least one hydrophilic polymer, with (B) a plurality of the first compounds,

wherein at least one of the first plurality or the second plurality of pendant groups is attached to the alkylene polymer backbone via a first linking moiety comprising at least one aryl group which is interactive via π-π stacking, and

wherein the plurality of polymers self-assemble into nanocarriers in an aqueous environment into which the first compound is loaded.