One organism showing promise was a black
sea sponge (
Halichondria okadai
)
found in
the shallow waters off the coast of Japan
1
A substance found within the sponge –
halichondrin B
– showed pharmaceutical
potential
2
1. Simmons T, Gerwick W. Anticancer Drugs of Marine Origin. Oceans and Human Health. 2008. Pp. 429-451.
2. Yu MJ, Kishi Y, Littlefield BA. Discovery of E7389, A Fully Synthetic Macrocyclic Ketone Analogue of Halichondrin B in Anticancer Agents from Natural Products.
The discovery of the drug
>200 analogs, 6 years
