Trigger Control Release

Chelating Complex Micelles (CCM) is a patented nanocarrier technology developed by Orginal BioMedicals. In CCM, the central metal ion forms coordination bonds simultaneously with both the drug molecules and the polymeric ligand segments. Upon administration of a specific chelating agent, the agent "seizes" the metal core, triggering controlled release of the drug. By designing the dosage and timing of metal ions and chelating agents, drug release can be accelerated, delayed, or paused—meeting clinical needs for releasing drugs "at the right time and right location."

• Coordination-driven Encapsulation: Drugs (with lone-pair electron-containing functional groups) and polymeric ligands (e.g., PEG-b-PGA) coordinate simultaneously with metal ions to self-assemble into CCM. Commonly used metals include [metals not specified in original]. This design avoids modifying the drug’s main structure, helping preserve efficacy and extend circulation half-life.

• Chelator-triggered Release: When a specific chelating agent (e.g., deferoxamine) with a higher affinity for the metal ion is introduced, it removes the metal core and initiates drug release. The release rate is determined by the concentration and timing of the chelating agent.

• Systemic Administration + Local Triggering: CCM enables prolonged systemic circulation, while drug release is triggered at the target time window via oral or injectable chelating agents. This approach may reduce off-target exposure and improve therapeutic windows.

• "Switchable" Treatment Regimens: For therapies requiring intermittent exposure or transient peaks (e.g., radiotherapy with protective agents), a "trigger → pause" model can be used to fine-tune exposure profiles.

Most controlled release systems rely on passive mechanisms such as pH, temperature, or diffusion. In contrast, CCM employs active control through ligand–metal chemical competition. This allows precise regulation of drug release via exogenous parameters (chelating agent/metal, dose, timing), even under constant physiological pH and temperature, significantly enhancing spatiotemporal control in clinical applications.

• US 9,597,406 B2 — Controlled release method for a pharmaceutical composition composed of chelating complex micelles.

• JP 6251689 B2 / KR 10-1628586 B1 — Japanese/Korean counterpart patents for the above triggered release method.

• TWI 568454 B — Triggered release method for metal-containing composite micelle drug carriers (approved in Taiwan).