Seek & Heal™ Drug Targeting

A novel technology

Seek & Heal™ targeting

Seek & Heal™ targeting represents a novel
technology in drug targeting of foreign cells.

The technology is built around particles, containing a pharmaceutical substance.
that selectively adhere to foreign cells in
the human body.

Patent has been applied for.

Seek & Heal™ drug targeting represent true
drug targeting as the particles are selectively
concentrated close to foreign cells.

Biomimetic

The invention was inspired by a hypothesis of
how white blood cells identifies foreign cells.

Globally uniqueness

At present, drug targeting are centered around
use of receptor ligands, which are large and
expensive molecules. Drug targeting is there-
fore used mainly for directly life threatening
symptoms like in cancer tumor therapy.

The novel mechanism of Seek & Heal™ per-
mits use of drug targeting in many different circumstances.

As launching base for the technology a product
with minimal registration issues, yet potentially
important has been chosen. The product will be
used for disinfection of wounds.

Schematic animation of Seek & Heal™ targeting.

Seek & Heal™ targeting is based on nanoparticles (blue)
encapsulating a pharmaceutical drug. The particles adhere
to foreign tissues (red), but not to human healthy tissues.

After the particles have adhered to the foreign tissue, an
active substance (drug) is released.

By the targeting mechanism, the foreign tissue is treated with
drug at higher concentrations as compared to human tissue.

Aiming and shooting

An analogy to drug targeting says that conventional medicine shoots the
whole body during treatment. Seek and Heal™ aims before it shoots.

Why shooting without aiming?

Demonstration of Seek& Heal™ targeting using color

The technology has been visually demonstrated by encapsulation
of a red dye in Seek and Heal™ particles.

Drug delivery

Drug delivery is a well known concept in pharmaceutical product development.
Two major concepts are outlined: Drug release and Drug targeting.

Drug release

Drug release represents an increase of activity of a pharmaceutical substance. A com-
mon area is sustained release, when the drug slowly reaches the surrounding tissue.

Typical examples include release from a capsule or particle. The gross concentration
of the drug is not changed when the drug is released.

Virtually all projects within drug delivery are concerned with drug release.

Drug targeting

Drug targeting represents an increase in concentration of a pharmaceutical substance
in an intended target tissue. Concentration enhancement is different from drug release
as drug activity becomes elevated and not decreased by actions of the carrier.

Some therapies, marketed as drug targeting, e.g. release of a substance in some part
of the gastric system, actually represents release. The total concentration of the drug is
not enhanced during release.

Common technologies use filtration due to size (EPR effect) or ligands that attach to
specific molecules on the target tissue.

Seek& Heal™ drug targeting

Seek& Heal™ particles use an alternative mechanism - selectivity based on metabolism.
By this technology it is possible to target foreign cells, like colonies of bacteria or even a
single bacterium.

Mechanism

The products are built by nanoparticles, containing an active pharmaceutical substance
(drug). The nanoparticles are dispersed in a tissue friendly solution.

Pathologic tissues show a metabolism different to that of healthy human cells. Seek &
Heal™ particles are sensitive to this odd metabolism. When they sense the malfunction,
they adhere to the pathologic tissue and release their content of active drug.

The particles do not adhere to human healthy tissues.

Due to the targeting mechanism, the foreign cells are exposed to a high concentration
of the pharmaceutical substance. The rest of the patient is, however, not exposed.

The pharmaceutical substance therefore shows a high activity close to the foreign cells,
while unwanted side effects on the rest of the patient are kept at a minimum.