Multivalent Cationic Lipids

Multivalent cationic lipids are like fixed cationic lipids in the sense that their charge does not change based on the biological environment. However, multivalent cationic lipids such as MVL-5 do offer some advantages over fixed cationic lipids particularly in applications involving delivery of siRNA. In some cases, the amount of multivalent cationic lipid needed for a formulation is one-third to one-fifth the amount of the fixed cationic lipid that would be needed. Since high amounts of fixed cationic lipids can be toxic, multivalent cationic formulations are generally considered less toxic. Multivalent cationic lipids also increase the encapsulation efficiency of siRNA compared to fixed cationic lipid formulations.