[Development of marine-derived anti-cancer compounds]

The marine environment offers a rich source of natural products with potential therapeutic application. Marine organisms have evolved the enzymatic capability to produce potent chemical entities that make them promising sources of innovative cytotoxic compounds. Prominent in the identification and development of novel anti-cancer agents from marine sources is the Spanish biotechnology company, Pharma Mar, which currently has a large number of oncology products in late preclinical and clinical development. These include: Ecteinascidin-743 (ET-743), Aplidin, Kahalalide F and ES-285. Many of these innovative compounds have novel mechanisms of anti-tumor action that have yet to be fully elucidated.