Thinking outside the 'block': alternative polymer composition for micellar drug delivery

With a number of formulations currently in clinical trials, the interest in polymer micelles as drug carriers in unlikely to subside. Historically, linear diblock copolymers have been used as the main building block in micelle preparation. Still, recent advances in polymer chemistry have meant that a wider variety of polymer architectures and compositions have become available and evaluated for pharmaceutical applications. This mini-review aims to provide an overview of the exciting developments in triblock, graft and hyperbranched polymer chemistries that may change the way polymeric micelles drug formulations are prepared.