Patent ID: 7510731

Claim:
A micelle having a hydrophobic core and a hydrophilic exterior for the delivery of a therapeutic agent, the micelle comprising: a plurality of copolymers comprising at least one hydrophobic block and at least one hydrophilic block, wherein (i) the hydrophobic block forms the hydrophobic core of the micelle and the hydrophilic block forms the hydrophilic exterior of the micelle; (ii) the hydrophobic block comprises at least one ionizable and/or charged monomeric unit and at least one nonionic hydrophobic monomeric unit, wherein the ionizable and/or charged monomeric unit comprises at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of an acrylic acid, an alkylacrylic acid, an (aminoalkyl) acrylate, and an (aminoalkyl)alkylacrylate, and the non-ionic hydrophobic monomeric unit comprises at least one moiety selected from the group consisting of an acrylate, an acrylamide, an alkylacrylate, an alkylacrylamide, an arylacrylate, and an arylacrylamide; and (iii) the hydrophilic block comprises a non-ionic hydrophilic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol and a polymer comprising vinyl monomeric units.