Herein are provided derivatized hyperbranched polyglycerols (dHPGs). The dHPG comprises a core comprising a hyperbranched polyglycerol derivatized with C.sub.1C.sub.20 alkyl chains and a shell comprising at least one hydrophilic substituent bound to hydroxyl groups of the core, wherein the hyperbranched polyglycerol comprises from about 1 to about 200 moles of the at least one hydrophilic substituent. The dHPGs are for use as agents for the delivery of a drug or other biologically active moiety to the urinary tract, the digestive tract, the airways, the vaginal cavity and cervix and the peritoneal cavity to treat indications such as cancer, which may be useful in the treatment of or the manufacture of a medicament, in the preparation, of a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of cancer, as a pre-treatment or co-treatment to improve drug uptake in a tissue. Furthermore, there are provided methods of making dHPGs.

A foam control agent and method of controlling foam for bioethanol processing by use of a foam control agent, wherein the agent comprises at least a (poly)glycerol ether.

It is provided a method of treatment of a human or animal patient in need thereof to achieve a reduction of the viscosity of mucus of the patient which is carried out by administering a polyglycerol derivative having a linear or dendritic polyglycerol backbone and carrying at least one thiol group covalently bound to the polyglycerol backbone. It is further provided a method of treatment of a human or animal patient suffering from chronic sinusitis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, bronchiectasis, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, constipation, gastrointestinal malabsorption syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, steatorrhea or diarrhea by administering a polyglycerol derivative. Further specific thiol-functionalized polyglycerol derivatives and a corresponding manufacturing method are provided.

Disclosed is a hydrophobically-modified associative thickener polymer prepared from a reaction mixture comprising a) a poloxamer tri-block copolymer of the formula (I): ##STR00001##
b) at least one active hydrogen-containing compound c) a gem-polyhalide with an alkali hydroxide; or d) a polyglycidyl ether with an alkali hydroxide; e) optionally, a hydrophobe-containing compound; also disclosed are aqueous protective coating compositions; and further disclosed is a process to prepare a hydrophobically-modified associative thickener polymer.