IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,605,480
Granted Patent B2
US 12,605,480 · App. 17/761,193 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Tough gel-based drug delivery compositions and methods thereof

Inventors: Benjamin Ross Freedman (Brookline, MA); David J. Mooney (Sudbury, MA)
Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College
A61L24/0089A61L24/0015A61L24/0031A61L24/02A61L2300/222
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,605,480
App. No.
17/761,193
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Described herein are tough gel compositions that comprise an interpenetrating networks (IPN) hydrogel. The IPN hydrogel comprises a first polymer network (covalently crosslinked) and a second polymer network (ionically crosslinked), at least one therapeutic agent, and a clay material. The tough gel compositions may further include an adhesive polymer layer attached to the IPN hydrogel. Methods of use of these compositions, such as for extended release drug delivery, are also described.

Claims (29)

1 . An interpenetrating networks (IPN) hydrogel composition, comprising:

a first polymer network and a second polymer network; and

at least one therapeutic agent, wherein

wherein the first polymer network comprises a first polymer that is covalently crosslinked and the second polymer network comprises a second polymer that is ionically crosslinked; and

wherein the therapeutic agent is released from the IPN hydrogel composition in a sustained manner;

wherein the concentration of the therapeutic agent (the therapeutic agent/hydrogel w/v %) is at least about 2 times, about 4 times, about 8 times, about 16 times, about 25 times, about 50 times, about 100 times, about 200 times, about 500 times, about 1000 times, about 2000 times, about 5000 times, about 10000 times, about 20000 times, or about 25000 times greater than the solubility limit of the therapeutic agent; and

wherein the therapeutic agent forms an aggregate suspended in the IPN hydrogel.

2 . The interpenetrating networks (IPN) hydrogel composition of claim 1 , further comprises a clay material.

3 . An adhesive composition, comprising the composition of claim 2 and an adhesive polymer layer attached to the interpenetrating networks (IPN) hydrogel.

4 . The composition of claim 3 , wherein the adhesive polymer is a high density primary amine polymer and attached to the IPN via a coupling agent.

5 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the clay material comprises a plurality of clay particles that aggregate in the second polymer network.

6 . The composition of claim 5 , wherein the therapeutic agent is encapsulated in the hydrophobic interlayer spaces of the aggregated clay particles and/or adsorbed onto the aggregated clay particles.

7 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the clay material is selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, illite, chlorite, vermiculite, smectite, bentonite, sodium smectite, attapulgite, sepiolite, dicite, halloysite, nacrite, and laponite.

8 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the composition comprises about 1 mg/ml to about 200 mg/ml of the clay material.

9 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the weight ratio of the clay material to the therapeutic agent is from about 100:1 to about 2:5.

10 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein

(a) the first polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylamide, poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (PHEMA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyphosphazene, collagen, gelatin, poly(acrylate), poly(methacrylate), poly(methacrylamide), poly(acrylic acid), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), poly(N,N-dimentylacrylamide), poly(allylamine) and copolymers thereof; and/or

(b) the first polymer network comprises a first polymer that is covalently crosslinked with a covalent cross linking agent selected from the group consisting of N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAA), a methacrylate crosslinker, N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (ECC), N-hydroxysuccinimide, N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide, glutaraldehyde, and a transglutaminase; and/or

(c) the first polymer network comprises a first polymer that is covalently crosslinked with a biodegradable covalent crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of a poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate, a gelatin acrylate, a hyaluronic acid acrylate, an alginate acrylate, and poloxamer (PEG-PPG-PEG) diacrylate; and/or

(d) the second polymer is selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectate, carboxymethyl cellulose, oxidized carboxymethyl cellulose, hyaluronate, chitosan, κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan and λ-carrageenan, wherein the alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, hyaluronate chitosan, κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan and λ-carrageenan are each optionally oxidized, wherein the alginate, carboxymethyl cellulose, hyaluronate chitosan, κ-carrageenan, ι-carrageenan and λ-carrageenan optionally include one or more groups selected from the group consisting of methacrylate, acrylate, acrylamide, methacrylamide, thiol, hydrazine, tetrazine, norbornene, transcyclooctene and cyclooctyne; and/or

(e) the second polymer network comprises a second polymer that is ionically crosslinked with an ionic crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of CaCl 2 , CaSO 4 , CaCO 3 , hyaluronic acid, and polylysine; and/or

(f) the first polymer network and the second polymer network are covalently coupled.

11 . A drug delivery system comprising the composition of claim 1 and an additional drug delivery device.

12 . An adhesive composition, comprising the composition of claim 1 and an adhesive polymer layer attached to the interpenetrating networks (IPN) hydrogel, wherein the first polymer is polyacrylamide, the second polymer is alginate, and the adhesive polymer is chitosan.

13 . The composition of claim 12 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a corticosteroid.

14 . The composition of claim 13 , wherein the concentration of the therapeutic agent (the therapeutic agent/hydrogel w/v %) is at least about 25 times, about 50 times, about 100 times, about 200 times, about 500 times, about 1000 times, about 2000 times, about 5000 times, about 10000 times, about 20000 times, or about 25000 times greater than the solubility limit of the therapeutic agent.

15 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of a biologic, a small molecule, a metal, or a combination thereof.

16 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic agent is a corticosteroid.

17 . The composition of claim 16 , wherein the corticosteroid is triamcinolone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 5, 2022
From: FREEDMAN, BENJAMIN ROSS; MOONEY, DAVID J.
To: PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE
Reel/Frame 061970/0253 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62903315 · Sep 20, 2019
Related Publication 20240016972A1 · Jan 18, 2024
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