NanoEmber™: Precision Micelle-in-Hydrogel Platform for Local Chemotherapy Delivery

Self-immolative micelles in hydrogel enable tumour-triggered local delivery of chemotherapeutics, reducing systemic toxicity.

BACKGROUND

Most chemotherapies are administered systemically, yet <1% of drug reaches solid tumours. This leads to poor efficacy and high toxicity, especially in hard-to-penetrate cancers like PDAC, one of the deadliest cancers, with late diagnosis and poor drug penetration contributing to a 5-year survival rate below 10%.

Local delivery strategies are gaining traction, but often lack control, specificity or regulatory compatibility. A flexible, tumour-triggered delivery platform is needed to overcome these limitations and accelerate clinical adoption.

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

NanoEmber™ is a modular, locally injectable drug delivery platform that enables precision chemotherapy delivery into solid tumours. It combines:

• Tocopherol-based, self-immolative micelles that encapsulate chemotherapy prodrugs (e.g. gemcitabine, paclitaxel)
• A thermo-responsive hydrogel that forms a drug depot upon injection
• Stimulus-responsive release: micelles release their cargo in response to tumour-specific conditions (e.g. elevated glutathione)

The platform is designed for intratumoral or peritumoral administration using standard clinical techniques (e.g. EUS, intranasal), ensuring high local exposure and minimal systemic toxicity.

 Proof of concept demonstrated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC):

• Dual-loaded micelles (GEM + PTX) achieved 50–100× greater cytotoxicity in vitro vs free drug
• In vivo (orthotopic mouse model), the formulation led to significant tumour volume reduction with high local retention and low systemic diffusion
• Mechanism confirmed via PI3K-Akt and MAPK pathway activation, with immune modulation signatures observed

Key attributes:

• ~120 nm micelles, high drug loading (1:60 GEM; 1:30 PTX)
• Controlled release: 72–120 h, GSH-triggered
• Validated in pilot batches (≤5 L), repeatable specs

 Broader potential:

The delivery platform is payload-agnostic and can be adapted for other solid tumours requiring local therapy (e.g. GBM, prostate, peritoneal metastases).

STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT

TRL 3–4 — Platform developed with proof-of-concept in PDAC using dual-drug-loaded micelles in pilot batches

APPLICATIONS AND BENEFITS

• Tumour-triggered drug release
• High local retention
• Enhanced efficacy with reduced toxicity
• Flexible modularity for other payloads
• Compatibility with accelerated regulatory paths

Primary: Platform for local chemotherapy delivery in solid tumours
Initial PoC: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)
Expandable to: Glioblastoma, peritoneal, head and neck, prostate

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

• EP25165757 – SELF-IMMOLATIVE MICELLE, METHODS AND USES THEREOF

OPPORTUNITY

NOVA Inventors

João Conde

João Ravasco

João Conniot

Bárbara Mendes

Jhenifer Oliveira