Many drug-polymer delivery systems were proposed offering improved efficacy, reduced toxicity and better patient compliance as compared with conventional forms of drugs. Various synthetic and natural polymers were used in these systems [1]. However many polymers proposed as carriers were not biomimetic and not biodegradable.
Several methods of drug modifications were studied in our laboratory, and new drug-polymer conjugates containing synthetic oligo(3-hydroxybutyrate) as polymeric carriers were synthesized [2,3] attention has been paid to modifications of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The results of the present study have revealed that in the reaction of b-butyrolactone with acetylsalicylic acid the regioselective ring opening and oligomerization of b-butyrolactone takes place and drug-polymer conjugates are prepared [4,5].
The structure of synthesized compounds was controlled by GPC and confirmed by elemental analysis, 1H NMR, ESI-MS, FTIR spectra.
The obtained modified acetylsalicylic acid has shown prolonged activity and lower toxicity than the drug (aspirin) itself. Further studies on the usefulness of modified aspirin for medical applications are underway.

Acknowledgements
Financial support by KBN 7 T08 E 059 and POLPHARMA Company are acknowledged.
References:
[1] Uhrich , K., Cannizzaro, S. M., Langer, R. S., Shakeshelff, K. M. Chem. Rev. 99, 3181 (1999)
[2] Jedlinski, Z., Kurcok, P., Lenz, R. W. Macromolecules 31, 6718(1998)
[3] Jedlinski, Z., Kowalczuk, M., Kurcok, P.; P. Pat. 172 412 (1993)
[4] Juzwa, M., Kurek, A., Zawidlak, B. Inzynieria Biomaterialow 4, nr 17, 20 (2001)
[5] Jedlinski, Z., Juzwa, M., Kurek, A., Zawidlak, B.; P. Pat. Appl. 348 487 (2001)

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