Our priority is always the health and safety of every member of our campus community as well as the patients we serve today and in the future. Click here for more information.
Click here for messages from our President
As of October 2020, shown below are the marine-derived compounds which have either been approved, or are in Phase III, II or I of drug development, and are part of the global marine pharmaceutical clinical pipeline. For a comprehensive review prior to 2011 see A.M.S. Mayer, K.B. Glaser, C. Cuevas, R.S. Jacobs, W. Kem, R.D. Little, J. M McIntosh, D.J. Newman, B.C. Potts and D. E. Shuster, Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 31:255-265, 2010 TIPS (PDF Doc). This peer-reviewed publication has been cited 678 times (Google Scholar, October 2020). A Global Marine Pharmaceutical Pipeline powerpoint presentation at the 5th IUPHAR World Conference on the Pharmacology of Natural Products, Hyderabad, India (http://www.wcpnaturalproducts.org/), December 2019, is available by clicking the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSH_q4ab1hQ&t=10s
Compound Name |
Trademark |
Marine Organism |
Chemical Class |
Molecular Target |
US - Active Clinical Trials |
Europe, Australia- Active Clinical Trials |
Chinese - Active Clinical Trials |
Disease Area |
Company/ Institution |
Belantamab mafodotin-bl mf |
Blenrep TM (2020)* |
Mollusk/cya nobacterium |
ADC (MMAF) |
BCMA | [9+] | [7+] | None | Cancer: Relapsed/re fractory multiple myeloma |
[GlaxoSmith Kline] |
Lurbinectedin | Zepzelca TM (2020)* |
Tunicate | Alkaloid | RNA Polymerase II | [6+] | [6+] | None | Cancer: Metastatic Small Cell Lung Cancer |
[Pharmamar] |
Enfortumab Vedotin-ejfv | PADCEVTM (2019)* | Mollusk/cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | Nectin-4 | [4+] | [3+] | None | Metastatic urothelial cancer | [Astellas Pharma & Seattle Genetics] |
Polatuzumab vedotin (DCDS-4501A) | Polivy TM (2019)* | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium |
ADC (MMAE) | CD76b & microtubules | [8+] | [4+] | None | Cancer: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Lymphoma, B-Cell lymphoma, Folicular | [Genetech/ Roche] |
Plitidepsin** | Aplidin® | Tunicate | Depsipeptide | eEF1A2 | [1+] | [6+] | None | Cancer: Multiple Myeloma, Leukemia, Lymphoma | [Pharmamar] |
Trabectedin (ET-743) |
Yondelis® (2015) * |
Tunicate | Alkaloid | Minor groove of DNA | [32+] | [28+] | None | Cancer: Soft Tissue Sarcoma and Ovarian Cancer | [Pharmamar] |
Brentuximab vedotin (SGN-35) |
Adcetris® (2011) * |
Mollusk/ cyanobacterium |
ADC(MMAE) | CD30 & microtubules | [79+] | [37+] | None | Cancer: Anaplastic large T-cell systemic maglinant lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease | [Seattle Genetics] |
Eribulin Mesylate (E7389) | Halaven® (2010) * |
Sponge | Macrolide | Microtubules | [46+] | [11+] | None | Cancer: Metastatic Breast Cancer | [Eisai Inc.] |
Omega-3-acid ethyl esters | Lovaza® (2004) * |
Fish | Omega-3 fatty acids | Trygliceride-synthesizing enzymes | [1+] | None | None | Hypertriglyceridemia | [Glaxo Smith Kline] |
Eicosapenta enoic acid ethyl ester |
Vascepa® (2012)* | Fish | Omega-3 fatty acids |
Triglyceridesynthesizing enzymes |
[6+] | [3+] | None | Hypertriglyc eridemia |
[Amarin] |
Omega-3-ca rboxylic acid |
Epanova® (2014)* | Fish | Omega-3 fatty acids |
Triglyceridesynthesizing enzymes |
[1+] | [6+] | None | Hypertriglyc eridemia |
[AstraZeneca] |
Ziconotide | Prialt® (2004) * |
Cone snail | Peptide | N-TypeCa channel | [2+] | [3+] | None | Pain: Severe Chronic Pain | [Jazz Pharmaceuticals] |
Vidarabine (Ara-A) |
Vira-A® (1976)* |
Sponge | Nucleoside | Viral DNA polymerase | [162+] | None | None | Antiviral: Herpes Simplex Virus | [Mochida Pharmaceutical Co.] |
Cytarabine (Ara-C) |
Cytosar-U® (1969) * |
Sponge | Nucleoside | DNA polymerase | [462+] | [140+] | [23+] | Cancer:Leukemia | [Pfizer] |
* FDA Years Approved ** Australia Dec 2018 Approved.
Compound Name |
Trademark | Marine Organism |
Chemical Class |
Molecular Target |
US - Active Clinical Trials |
Europe - Active Clinical Trials |
Chinese - Active Clinical Trials |
Disease Area |
Company/ Institution |
Plinabulin (NPI-2358) |
NA | Fungus | Diketopiperazine | Microtubules | [5+] | None | None | Cancer: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Brain Tumor | [BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals] |
Tetrodotoxin | Halneuron TM | Pufferfish | Guanidinium alkaloid | Sodium Channel | [1+] | None | None | Pain: Chronic Pain | [Wex Pharmaceutical Inc.] |
Lurbinectedin (PM01183) | ZepzelkaTM | Tunicate | Alkaloid | RNA Polymerase II | [5+] | [4+] | None | Cancer: Ovarian Cancer, Breast Cancer, SCLC | [Pharmamar] |
Marizomib (Salinosporamide A; NPI-0052) | NA | Bacterium | Beta-lactone-gamma lactam | 20S proteasome | [4+] | [1+] | None | Cancer: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Melanoma, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma | [Triphase] |
Compound Name |
Trademark | Marine Organism |
Chemical Class |
Molecular Target |
US - Active Clinical Trials |
Europe - Active Clinical Trials |
Chinese - Active Clinical Trials |
Disease Area |
Company/ Institution |
GTS-21 (DMXBA) |
NA | Worm | Alkaloid | α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor | [1+] | None | None | Schizophrenia, Alzheimer Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Endotoxemia, Sepsis, Vagal Activity | No Link |
AGS-16C3F | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium |
ADC (MMAF) | ENPP3 & microtubules | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Renal Cell Carcinoma | [Agensys & Astellas Pharma] |
Plocabulin (PM184) |
NA | Sponge | Polyketide | Minor groove of DNA | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Solid Tumors | [Pharmamar] |
Tisotumab Vedotin | HuMax®-TF-ADC | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | Tissue Factor & microtubules | [5+] | [4+] | None | Cancer: Ovary Cancer, Cervix Cancer, Endometrium Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Prostate Cancer (CRPC), Cancer of Head and Neck (SCCHN), Esophagus Cancer, Lung Cancer (NSCLC) | [GenMab] |
Ladiratuzumab vedotin (SGN-LIV1A) |
NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium |
ADC (MMAE) | LIV-1 & microtubules | [5+] | [2+] | None | Cancer: Breast Cancer | [Seattle Genetics] |
Bryostatin | NA | Bryozoan | Macrolide Iactone |
Protein kinase C | [1+] | None | None | Alzheimer's Disease | [ Neurotrope BioScience] |
Telisotuzumab vedotin (ABBV-399) |
NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | c-Met | [3+] | [1+] | None | Cancer: Solid tumors | [Abbvie] |
Enapotamab vedotin (HuMax-AXL) | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | Axl RTK | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Ovarian Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Endometrial Cancer | [Genmab] |
RC-48 | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | HER2 | [4+] | None | None | Cancer: Urothelial Carcinoma, Advanced Cancer, Gastric Cancer, HER2 Overexpressing Gastric Carcinoma, Advanced Breast Cancer, Solid Tumors | [RemeGen] |
CAB-ROR2 (BA-3021) | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | ROR2 | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Solid Tumor, Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Soft Tissue Sarcoma | [BioAtla] |
CX-2029 (ABBV-2029) | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | CD71 | [1+] | [1+] | None | Cancer: Solid Tumor, Head and Neck Cancer, Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma | [AbbVie & CytomX Therapeutics] |
W0101 | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | IGF-R1 | [1+] | [1+] | None | Cancer: Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors | [Pierre-Fabre] |
Compound Name |
Trademark | Marine Organism |
Chemical Class |
Molecular Target |
US - Active Clinical Trials |
Europe - Active Clinical Trials |
Chinese - Active Clinical Trials |
Disease Area |
Company/ Institution |
ARX-788 | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | HER2 & microtubules | [1+] |
None | None | Cancer: Breast Cancer, Gastric Cancer | [Ambrex & Zhejiang Medicine] |
XMT-1536 | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (Dolaflexin) | NaPi2b & microtubules | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Solid tumors | [Mersana Therapeutics] |
ALT-P7 | NA | Mollusk/ cyanobacterium | ADC (MMAE) | HER2 & microtubules | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Breast cancer, Gastric cancer | [3SBio & Alteogen] |
MORAb-202 | NA | Sponge | ADC (Macrolide) | Microtubules | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Solid Tumors | [Eisai] |
PF-06804103 | NA | Mollusk/cyanobacterium | ADC (Auristatin variant) | HER2 | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: Breast Neoplasms, Stomach Neoplasms, Esophagogastric Junction Neoplasm, Carcinoma, Non-small-cell Lung | [Pfizer & AbbVie] |
Griffithsin | NA | Red alga | Lectin | Carbohydrate-binding | [1+] | NA | NA | HIV prevention | [Center for Predictive Medicine] |
ZW-49 | NA | Mollusk/cyanobacterium | ADC (Auristatin variant) | HER2 | [1+] | None | None | Cancer: HER2-expressing Cancers | [Zymeworks & BeiGene] |