Host–guest interactions between the antifungal agent Octopirox® (Oc) and modified β-cyclodextrin-derivatives were studied using 1H- and 2D-ROESY NMR spectroscopy, Job-Plot and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). In addition to β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) a number of derivatives, namely randomly methacrylated β-cyclodextrin (RM-β-CD), mono-methacrylated β-cyclodextrin (MM-β-CD), randomly methylated β-cyclodextrin (RAMEB), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) and randomly methacrylated hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (RM-HP-β-CD) were used. NMR data suggests the formation of highly ordered complexes, while ITC measurements allowed the identification of their stoichiometries and the thermodynamic data. To evaluate the possibility of retarded drug release from complexes prepared from polymeric materials like artificial nails, the complexes were polymerized with comonomers and subjected to aqueous extraction followed by quantification of Oc release by means of UV-spectroscopy.