Abstract
PEGylation refers to the covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) to molecules. PEGylation of the molecule results in the reduction of the immunogenicity and the extended time in blood circulation. PEGylation is recognized as a promising method to increase the therapeutic efficacy of medicines in clinical settings. The main advantages of PEGylation are (1) increase in the size of drug molecule, resulting in reduced filtration by kidneys, (2) increase in solubility, and (3) protection from enzymatic digestion and recognition by antibodies. A variety of molecules, such as small molecules, peptides, proteins, enzymes, antibodies and their fragments, and nanoparticles have been modified with PEG. Several PEGylated drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several more are being tested in clinical settings.
