Herein are provided derivatized hyperbranched polyglycerols (“dHPGs”). The dHPG comprises a core comprising a hyperbranched polyglycerol derivatized with C1C20 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.