New Breast Cancer Drug Found Deep in the Sea

From the Wall Street Journal
Amid a dry spell for breakthrough cancer drugs, recent U.S. approval of Eisai Co.'s Halaven represents some vindication for a small group of researchers who believe, contrary to recent pharmaceutical fashion, that molecules from nature hold promise against hard-to-treat diseases.
The Food and Drug Administration's approval of Halaven in November for treating late-stage breast cancer was a triumph of chemistry and tenacious research. Its path, extending nearly three decades from the first studies, demonstrates not only potential benefits but also some of the hurdles in the hunt within nature's bounty for drugs of the future.
Primitive creatures developed many clever ways to kill each other after billions of years of evolution, and some can be turned to human use. "Weapons of mass destruction are alive and well on a coral reef," says David Newman of the National Cancer Institute, who has studied the subject for decades.
Halaven derives from halichondrin B, a substance identified in a black sponge that lives off the coast of Japan. Studies showed it has a powerful effect on tumors, blocking cell division in a way that scientists hadn't previously thought possible.
Yoshito Kishi, a Harvard University chemistry professor, synthesized halichondrin B with funding from the National Cancer Institute. His work galvanized researchers at Eisai of Japan, who identified the active part of the molecule and, working with Dr. Kishi, went on to create the drug. Chemists say Halaven is among the most complex small-molecule drugs ever made commercially.


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