The source of healing is in the sea

‘ the biodiversity of the sea as a source of new drugs ’

-scientists at PharmaMar explores the global seafloor in search of new drugs of marine origin active antitumor.

– evolution has defined and selected various strategies of survival, defense, attack, adaptation and communication between marine organisms that make up a true arsenal of molecules that we can use in human health ”, says Carmen Cuevas, Director of r & d of PharmaMar.

-caves participates in the 39TH week of Humanities organized by the Academy of medical sciences of Bilbao between 6 and 10 February at the Maritime Museum of the capital vizcaína.

– the week of Humanities, dedicated this year to the sea, also will deal with other topics such as the role of the Red Cross of the sea on rescues and shipwrecks, oceans relationship with health or the marketing of fish in the modern age and the contribution of the anisakis allergy to fish.

Bilbao, February 2012. Over millions of years, countless forms of marine life have evolved to produce a huge variety of chemical entities of great sophistication. under this premise, scientists have been launched to sea and exploration under its surface to find life forms that can help to treat or cure diseases we suffer human. Researchers at PharmaMar, in particular, are dedicated to investigate marine biodiversity along all over the globe in search of marine organisms for the discovery of new compounds with anti-tumor properties, with the aim of creating new drugs.

Evolution has defined and selected various strategies of survival, defense, attack, adaptation and communication between marine organisms that make up a true arsenal of molecules that we can use in human health ”, said DRA. Carmen Cuevas, Director of r & d of PharmaMar. Caves participates in the week XXXIX of humanistic activities organized by the Academy of medical sciences of Bilbao at the Maritime Museum of Bilbao.

In his Conference ‘ the biodiversity of the sea as a source of new drugs ’, caves will talk about the work of PharmaMar and its programme marine discovery biotechnology pioneer of new drugs of marine origin. The sea is our source for research, and its great biodiversity serves as model for the discovery of innovative drugs with anti-tumour activity ”, says.

The Constitution of a drug through the marine biodiversity follows a complex process. From the samples obtained in expeditions that the company carries out around the world, prepare extracts which are evaluated in a panel of tumor cells to determine their anti-tumor activity. Extracts that present this activity are subjected to a process of fractionation and purification that allows the isolation of the compounds responsible for this activity. To rely on the natural source, the team of research of PharmaMar designs chemical processes capable of producing compounds in quantities sufficient to continue the investigation process.

Study in animals and humans

By means of chemical synthesis, gets the active compound, and next is the study of your possible formulation, defining the presentation which will be assessed in animal models in order to determine their activity in various tumors and the safety profile of the product. Addition, we study the mechanism by which the selected compound kills the tumor cells, if you have some kind of selectivity in some specific tumor and whether their effectiveness improves in combination with other drugs ”, points the DRA. Caves.

Clinical research studies in human beings begins after the preclinical phase, in which all the necessary information is generated. Once past all stages and tests of effectiveness of the drug in different tumor diseases and certain major side effects, creates the drug for marketing.

The Humanities week of the Academy of medical sciences of Bilbao, which he has held without interruption since 1973 and which this year is dedicated to the sea, will also deal with other issues such as the role of the Red Cross of sea rescues and shipwrecks, the relationship of the oceans with health or the marketing of fish in the modern age and the contribution of the anisakis allergy to fish.