Synthesis and Evaluation of a Well-defined HPMA Copolymer–Dexamethasone Conjugate for Effective Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

To develop a pH-sensitive dexamethasone (Dex)-containing N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer conjugate with well-defined structure for the improved treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A new pH-sensitive Dex-containing monomer (MA–Gly–Gly–NHN=Dex) was synthesized and copolymerized with HPMA using reversible addition–fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The structure of the resulting HPMA copolymer–Dex conjugate (P-Dex)...