Indian scientists tap bioactive compounds from marine life to develop drugs

Indian scientists are harnessing bioactive compounds from marine organisms to develop drugs against cancer, TB - bacterial, fungal, parasitic - viral infections as also dyslipidemia and diabetes. 

The scientists have screened over 14,000 marine samples (both fauna and flora) for a wide spectrum of bioactivity and are currently pursuing 18 leads against different bioactivities for optimisation and confirmation, minister of HRD, S&T, earth sciences and telecommunication and information technology Kapil Sibal informed the Lok sabha in a written reply.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Successful breakthrough have been achieved in respect of five compounds and they are in different stages of development, he said.

These include:

• CDR-134-D123 (anti-diabetic agent): Phase- I (consisting of both single dose and multiple doses) clinical trial was completed successfully on 36 volunteers and a dossier has been compiled and submitted to the department of ayurveda, unani, siddha and homoeopathy (AYUSH). It has since been licensed to TVC Sky Shop Limited for fast track marketing through AYUSH.
  
• CDR-134-F194 (anti-hyperglycemic-cum-anti-hyperlipidemic fraction): The committee on investigational new drug (IND) has suggested some changes in the protocol. Accordingly, a fresh clearance from the ethics committee is being sought at CDRI, Lucknow. 
  
• CDR-267-F-018 (anti-dyslipidemic and anti-hyperglycemic): Regulatory toxicity studies in monkeys are being initiated for the product development.
  
• A novel compound, Tiruchenduramine, was discovered from Indian Ascidians (synoicum macroglossum) for anti-diabetes and US patent granted for its isolation and synthesis.
  
• CU1-002 (anti-dyslipidemic): Studies initiated for biomarker development to comply with requirement of DCGI for resubmission of IND application to commence Phase-I clinical trial.

Fourteen major R&D labs, including the Central Drug Research Institute (Lucknow), National Institute of Oceanography (Goa), Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (Bhavnagar), Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (Hyderabad), Institute for Minerals and Materials Technology (Bhubaneswar), National Institute of Ocean Technology, (Chennai), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Education and Research (Mumbai) and the Central Institute of Fisheries Education (Mumbai), are actively involved in the research, according to a government release.

Besides, state level institutions such as the department of fisheries of the government of West Bengal and Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai as also the universities of Andhra, Calcutta, Annamalai, and Madras are actively involved in the research.