A method for manufacturing a hyaluronan conjugate comprises providing hyaluronan in solation or gel form, reacting the hyaluronan in solution or gel form with anhydride reagent to provide a hyaluronan hemi-ester with a chain of length L between the hyaluronan and the ester group, and subsequently binding the hyaluronan hemi-ester to a pharmaceutically active compound. A hyaluronan conjugate comprises hyaluronan having free hemi-ester-groups and a pharmaceutically active compound bound to the hyaluronan via hemi-ester groups, wherein the hemi-ester groups have a chain length of 2-9 atoms. The hyaluronan conjugate is suitable for use in various methods of treatment in human or veterinary medicine and for preparation of a medicament for use in human or veterinary medicine.