A Polymeric Drug Depot Based on 7-(2′-Methacryloyloxyethoxy)-4-methylcoumarin Copolymers for Photoinduced Release of 5-Fluorouracil Designed for the Treatment of Secondary Cataracts

The synthesis of a polymeric, photoresponsive drug-delivery system on the basis of 4-methylcoumarin-side-chain-functionalized methacrylic copolymers with different degrees of functionalization is reported. Drug-release experiments in solution indicated a maximum release of 22 mu g of 5-fluorouracil per 1 mg of polymer. Polymer analogous photochemical drug immobilization does not lead to observable intermolecular cross-linking. Miscibility experiments with PMMA suggest that the bulk polymerization of homogeneous, transparent polymer sheets for intraocular lens fabrication, using MMA as the matrix monomer and incorporating the polymer-drug conjugates as a functional component, is possible.