Bioprospecting in the Arctic - UNU-IAS - United Nations University
Bioprospecting in the Arctic - UNU-IAS - United Nations University
Bioprospecting in the Arctic - UNU-IAS - United Nations University
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34<br />
Company Product(s) and areas of Research and<br />
Development <strong>in</strong>terest related to <strong>Arctic</strong> genetic<br />
resources<br />
Pharma Mar PharmaMar is a biopharmaceutical company with<br />
headquarters <strong>in</strong> Madrid (Spa<strong>in</strong>) and laboratories <strong>in</strong><br />
Cambridge (USA). PharmaMar is fully owned by <strong>the</strong><br />
Zeltia Group and traded on <strong>the</strong> Spanish Stock Exchange<br />
(ZEL) with a market capitalization of over 1.5 Billion<br />
euros.<br />
PharmaMar was founded <strong>in</strong> 1986, and its ma<strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess<br />
focus is on exploit<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> potential of <strong>the</strong> oceans as<br />
a source of novel medic<strong>in</strong>es for improved cancer<br />
treatment. PharmaMar has a collection of 50,000<br />
mar<strong>in</strong>e organisms obta<strong>in</strong>ed from expeditions around <strong>the</strong><br />
world. 700 new chemical entities have been discovered<br />
and 30 new families of compounds have been identified.<br />
PharmaMar also has 3 molecules <strong>in</strong> advanced precl<strong>in</strong>ical<br />
development.<br />
More than 6,000 cancer patients have already been<br />
treated with PharmaMar agents <strong>in</strong> cl<strong>in</strong>ical trials <strong>in</strong> more<br />
than 200 hospitals <strong>in</strong> Europe, US and Canada.<br />
ES-285 is a syn<strong>the</strong>tic molecule be<strong>in</strong>g developed by<br />
PharmaMar orig<strong>in</strong>ally found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> mollusc Mactromeris<br />
polynyma (<strong>Arctic</strong> Clam). ES-285 has shown precl<strong>in</strong>ical<br />
anti-tumour activity <strong>in</strong> a variety of human tumour types<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g liver, prostate, kidney and melanoma, and<br />
also <strong>in</strong> models of metastases. Currently it is <strong>in</strong> Phase I<br />
cl<strong>in</strong>ical trials <strong>in</strong> patients with advanced malignant solid<br />
tumors.<br />
Primex ehf Production of Chitosan and chit<strong>in</strong> derivatives for use <strong>in</strong><br />
food, cosmetics, biomedical and <strong>in</strong>dustrial applications<br />
derived from shrimp shells.<br />
Prokaria ehf Prokaria’s ma<strong>in</strong> areas of activity are <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> discovery,<br />
research and development of products and applications<br />
from natural organisms. Prokaria’s current primary<br />
focus is <strong>in</strong> two fields; a) Environmental genomic<br />
applications of <strong>the</strong>rmophilic organisms (bacteria and<br />
viruses) from Icelandic geo<strong>the</strong>rmal areas and b) applied<br />
fish genetics.<br />
Pronova<br />
Biopharma<br />
(previously known<br />
as Pronova<br />
Biocare)<br />
Probio Group<br />
Hold<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Pronova BioPharma (previously Pronova Biocare)<br />
is a global leader <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> research, development and<br />
manufacture of mar<strong>in</strong>e-orig<strong>in</strong>ated omega-3 derived<br />
pharmaceutical products.<br />
The research programs of Pronova BioPharma are<br />
aim<strong>in</strong>g at new lipid compounds hav<strong>in</strong>g more specific<br />
biological effects than natural PUFAs, and Pronova<br />
BioPharma is focus<strong>in</strong>g on two ma<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>rapeutic areas:<br />
The cardiovascular/metabolic area and <strong>the</strong> chronic<br />
<strong>in</strong>flammation area.<br />
Pronova BioPharma’s emphasis is on a new generation<br />
of naturally derived pharmaceuticals based on R&D<br />
with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> mar<strong>in</strong>e area. They actively participate <strong>in</strong><br />
programs that cover bioprospect<strong>in</strong>g projects that<br />
screen mar<strong>in</strong>e compounds through professional drug<br />
discovery programs and test identified lead compounds<br />
through <strong>the</strong>ir established network <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g research<br />
organisations and universities.<br />
Pronova BioPharma is a partner <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mabcent<br />
Initiative (See Box 5)<br />
Probio Group Hold<strong>in</strong>gs is a partner <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Mabcent<br />
Initiative See Box 5 above.<br />
Location, Country Web address<br />
Spa<strong>in</strong> and USA www.pharmamar.es/en<br />
Reykjavik (R &D),<br />
& Siglufjordur<br />
(Production),<br />
Iceland<br />
www.primex.is<br />
Iceland www.prokaria.com<br />
Norway and<br />
Denmark<br />
http://www.pronova.com/