Improving Drug Solubility with Polymer-Drug Conjugation: Recent Insights

Poor water solubility limits the bioavailability, absorption, and efficacy of many drugs, especially BCS class II and IV compounds. Polymeric drug conjugation (PDC) is a promising strategy to overcome these challenges by chemically linking hydrophobic drugs with hydrophilic polymers via covalent or non-covalent bonds. This enhances aqueous solubility, stability, and bioavailability, leading to improved therapeutic effects and reduced adverse reactions. PDC prolongs drug circulation, ensuring consistent absorption at lower doses. This article focuses on how this strategy can address solubility issues and enhance drug delivery effectiveness, it also brings spotlight to investigate current advancements in the field of polymer drug conjugates. Following a structured approach guided by PRISMA, relevant research on polymeric conjugation strategies were identified by screening literature from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar etc. Key polymers such as PEG, PLGA, HPMA, chitosan, and dextran etc were investigated for their solubility-enhancing capability. Clinical studies validate its success, making it a novel approach to addressing solubility related pharmaceutical challenges.