Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a biocompatible medical product comprising at least 1% by weight of dry matter of a covalently cross-linked polymer that is obtained by reacting a nucleophilically activated polyoxazoline (NU-POX) with an electrophilic cross-linking agent other than an electrophilically activated polyoxazoline, said NU-POX comprising m nucleophilic groups; and said electrophilic cross-linking agent comprising n electrophilic groups, wherein the m nucleophilic groups are capable of reaction with the n electrophilic groups to form covalent bonds; wherein m?2, n?2 and m+n?5; and wherein the NU-POX comprises at least 30 oxazoline units in case the electrophilic cross-linking agent is an isocyanate. Also provided is a kit for producing the aforementioned biocompatible cross-linked polymer. The biocompatible cross-linked polymers according to the invention have excellent implant and/or sealing characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to ready-to-use sterile, alginate-based, aqueous compositions for medical use. More particularly, the invention relates to an aqueous composition for medical use that has been sterilized by heat sterilization and having a viscosity at 25° C. of at least 300 cP) (Helipath® T F spindle, 100 rpm at 25° C.), said composition having a pH in the range of 6.5-7.5; containing 0.5-10 wt. % of an alginate salt; and further containing 10-500 mM of one or more dissolved C2-C7 mono- or dicarboxylates that are optionally substituted with up to 2 hydroxyl groups. The alginate-based composition of the present invention has excellent storage stability and is easy to manufacture. The alginate-based aqueous compositions of the present invention can advantageously be used, for instance, to prevent adhesions between a healing trauma site and adjacent surrounding tissue. These compositions can further be used in implants or in pharmaceutical preparations for oral administration.

Abstract: The invention relates to drug delivery systems comprising a water-soluble polymer matrix and a bioactive agent entrained therein, said water soluble polymer matrix containing at least 50 wt. % of polyoxazoline having a molar mass of at least 5 40,000 g/mol. The drug delivery systems of the present invention offer the advantage that the bioactive agent is readily released when the drug delivery system is contacted with water. The drug delivery system can be in the form of a solid dispersion, a mucoadhesive sheet, a tablet, a powder, a capsule.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a biocompatible, covalently cross-linked, polymer that is obtained by reacting an electrophilically activated polyoxazoline (EL-POX) with a nucleophilic cross-linking agent, said electrophilically activated POX comprising m electrophilic groups; and said nucleophilic cross-linking agent comprising n nucleophilic groups, wherein the m electrophilic groups are capable of reaction with the n nucleophilic groups to form covalent bonds; wherein m?2, n?2 and m+n?5; wherein at least one of the m electrophilic groups is a pendant electrophilic group and/or wherein m?3; and wherein the EL-POX comprises an excess amount of electrophilic groups relative to the amount of nucleophilic groups contained in the nucleophilic cross-linking agent. The invention further relates to biocompatible medical products comprising such a cross-linked POX-polymer. Also provided is a kit for producing a biocompatible, cross-linked POX-polymer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for removing impurities from biopolymer material, e.g. polysaccharides, polypeptides or polynucleotides. More particularly, the present invention provides a method of reducing lipopolysaccharide levels in a lipopolysaccharide containing biopolymer material, comprising the successive steps of: a) providing an aqueous solution containing 0.05-50 wt. % of dissolved lipopolysaccharide-containing biopolymer material; 0.001-10 wt.% of a surfactant; 0.05-15 wt. % of solid adsorbent; and at least 50 wt. % of water; b) allowing the adsorbent to adsorb lipopolysaccharides; c) separating the solid adsorbent containing adsorbed lipopolysaccharides from the remaining aqueous solution; and d) recovering the biopolymer material containing a reduced level of lipopolysaccharide from the separated aqueous solution.

Abstract: The present invention relates to ready-to-use sterile, alginate-based, aqueous compositions for medical use. More particularly, the invention relates to an aqueous composition for medical use that has been sterilized by heat sterilization and having a viscosity at 25° C. of at least 300 cP) (Helipath® T F spindle, 100 rpm at 25° C.), said composition having a pH in the range of 6.5-7.5; containing 0.5-10 wt. % of an alginate salt; and further containing 10-500 mM of one or more dissolved C2-C7 mono- or dicarboxylates that are optionally substituted with up to 2 hydroxyl groups. The alginate-based composition of the present invention has excellent storage stability and is easy to manufacture. The alginate-based aqueous compositions of the present invention can advantageously be used, for instance, to prevent adhesions between a healing trauma site and adjacent surrounding tissue. These compositions can further be used in implants or in pharmaceutical preparations for oral administration.

Abstract: The invention relates to drug delivery systems comprising a water-soluble polymer matrix and a bioactive agent entrained therein, said water soluble polymer matrix containing at least 50 wt. % of polyoxazoline having a molar mass of at least 5 40,000 g/mol. The drug delivery systems of the present invention offer the advantage that the bioactive agent is readily released when the drug delivery system is contacted with water. The drug delivery system can be in the form of a solid dispersion, a mucoadhesive sheet, a tablet, a powder, a capsule.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for removing impurities from biopolymer material, e.g. polysaccharides, polypeptides or polynucleotides. More particularly, the present invention provides a method of reducing lipopolysaccharide levels in a lipopolysaccharide containing biopolymer material, comprising the successive steps of: a) providing an aqueous solution containing 0.05-50 wt. % of dissolved lipopolysaccharide-containing biopolymer material; 0.001-10 wt.% of a surfactant; 0.05-15 wt. % of solid adsorbent; and at least 50 wt. % of water; b) allowing the adsorbent to adsorb lipopolysaccharides; c) separating the solid adsorbent containing adsorbed lipopolysaccharides from the remaining aqueous solution; and d) recovering the biopolymer material containing a reduced level of lipopolysaccharide from the separated aqueous solution.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a granulate having a volume weighted mean diameter of 1-200 m and containing: at least 0.1 wt. % of a pharmaceutically active substance; at least 10 wt. % of emulsifier 0-89.9 wt. % of a water-dispersible saccharide; the combination of the pharmaceutically active substance, the emulsifier and the water-dispersible saccharide together representing at least 60 wt. % of the granulate; wherein the granulate is monophasic or wherein the granulate comprises a dispersed phase containing the pharmaceutically active substance, said dispersed phase having a volume weighted mean diameter of less than 300 nm. Another aspect of the invention relates to a process for the preparation of said granulate containing a pharmaceutically active substance, which process employs.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a pharmaceutical dosage unit for sublingual, buccal, pulmonary or oral administration, said dosage unit having a weight of 20-500 mg and comprising 1-80 Wt. % of a microgranulate that is distributed throughout a solid hydrophilic matrix; said microgranulate being characterised in that it: has a volume weighted average diameter of 5-100 m; contains at least 0.01 wt. %, preferably at least 0.1 wt. % of one or more water-insoluble pharmaceutically active substances; contains at least 10 wt. %, preferably at least 20 wt. % of an emulsifier component; and is capable of forming a micro-emulsion upon contact with saliva or water. The dosage units of the present invention achieve the inherent benefits of oral delivery whilst at the same time realising a high transmucosal absorption rate of the cannabinoids contained therein.