Drugs from nature past achievements, future prospects · Drugs from nature" past achievements, future prospects GORDON M CRAGG, DAVID J NEWMAN Abstract Nature has been a source of

Iwu and Wootton (eds.). Ethnomedicine and Drug Discovery r 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

23

CHAPTER 1

Drugs from nature" past achievements, future prospects

G O R D O N M C R A G G , D A V I D J N E W M A N

Abstrac t

Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years, and an impressive number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources, many based on their use in traditional medicine. The past century, however, has seen an increasing role played by micro-organisms in the production of the antibiotics and other drugs for the treatment of diseases, ranging from bacterial infections to cardiovascular problems and cancer. Much of the world's biodiversity remains unexplored as a source of novel drug leads, and the search for new bioactive agents from natural sources, including extreme environments, will continue. With less than 1% of the microbial world currently known, advances in procedures for microbial cultivation and the extraction of nucleic acids from environmental samples from soil and marine habitats, and from symbiotic and endophytic microbes associated with terrestrial and marine macro-organisms, will provide access to a vast untapped reservoir of genetic and metabolic diversity. These resources will provide a host of novel chemical scaffolds, which can be further developed by combinatorial chemical and biosynthetic approaches to yield chemotherapeutic and other bioactive agents, which have been optimized on the basis of their biological activities. The investigation of these resources requires multi-disciplinary, international collaboration in the discovery and development process.

Keywords: traditional medicine, antibiotics, biodiversiO,, drug leads, bioactive agents, biological activity

I. M e d i c i n a l s for the mil lennia

I.A. Recorded history

Throughout the ages, humans have relied on nature for their basic needs for the production of foodstuffs, shelters, clothing, means of transportation, fertilizers, flavors and fragrances, and, not least, medicines. Plants have formed the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine systems that have been in existence for thousands of years. ~ The first records, written on clay tablets in cuneiform, are from Mesopotamia and date from about 2600 Bc; among the substances that they used were oils of Cedrus species (cedar) and Cupressus sempevirens (cypress), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), Commiphora species (myrrh), and Papaver somniferum (poppy juice), all of which are still in use today for the treatment of ailments ranging from

24 Ethnomedicine and drug discovery

coughs and colds to parasitic infections and inflammation. Egyptian medicine dates from about 2900 BC, but the best known Egyptian pharmaceutical record is the 'Ebers Papyrus' dating from 1500 Bc; this documents some 700 drugs (mostly plants), and includes formulas, such as gargles, snuffs, poultices, infusions, pills and ointments, with beer, milk, wine and honey being commonly used as vehicles. The Chinese Materia Medica has been extensively documented over the centuries, with the first record dating from about 1100 Bc (Wu Shi Er Bing Fang, containing 52 prescriptions), followed by works such as the Shennong Herbal (~ 100 Bc; 365 drugs) and the Tang Herbal (AD 659; 850 drugs). Likewise, documentation of the Indian Ayurvedic system dates from about 1000 BC (Susruta and Charaka), and this system formed the basis for the primary text of Tibetan Medicine, Gyu-zhi (Four

2 Tantras) translated from Sanskrit during the eighth century AD. In the ancient Western world, the Greeks contributed substantially to the rational

development of the use of herbal drugs. The philosopher and natural scientist, Theophrastus (~ 300 BC), in his 'History of Plants', dealt with the medicinal qualities of herbs, and noted the ability to change their characteristics through cultivation. Dioscorides, a Greek physician (AD 100), during his travels with Roman armies throughout the then 'known world', accurately recorded the collection, storage, and use of medicinal herbs, and is considered by many to be the most important representative of the science of herbal drugs in 'ancient times'. Galen (AD 130-200), who practiced and taught pharmacy and medicine in Rome, and published no less than 30 books on these subjects, is well known for his complex prescriptions and formulas used in compounding drugs, sometimes containing dozens of ingredients ('galenicals'). During the Dark and Middle Ages (fifth to 12th centuries), the monasteries in countries such as England, Ireland, France and Germany preserved the remnants of this Western knowledge, but it was the Arabs who were responsible for the preservation of much of the Greco-Roman expertise. They were also responsible for expanding it to include the use of their own resources, together with Chinese and Indian herbs unknown to the Greco-Roman world. The Arabs were the first to establish privately owned drug stores in the eighth century, and the Persian pharmacist, physician, philosopher and poet, Avicenna, contributed much to the sciences of pharmacy and medicine through works, such as Canon Medicinae, regarded as 'the final codification of all Greco-Roman medicine'.

LB. Traditional medicine and drug discovery

As mentioned above, plants have formed the basis for traditional medicine systems, which have been used for thousands of years in countries such as China 3 and India. 4 The use of plants in the traditional medicine systems of many other cultures has been extensively documented. 5-1~ These plant-based systems continue to play an essential role in healthcare, and it has been estimated by the World Health Organization that approximately 80% of the world's inhabitants rely mainly on traditional medicines for their primary healthcare. 11 Plant products also play an important role in the healthcare systems of the remaining 20% of the population, mainly residing in developed countries. Analysis of data on prescriptions dispensed from community

Drugs j?om nature 25

pharmacies in the United States from 1959 to 1980 indicates that about 25% contained plant extracts or active principles derived from higher plants, and at least 119 chemical substances, derived from 90 plant species, can be considered as important drugs currently in use in one or more countries. 11 Of these 119 drugs, 74% were discovered as a result of chemical studies directed at the isolation of the active substances from plants used in traditional medicine.

The isolation of the antimalarial drug, quinine, from the bark of Cinchona species (e.g.C. officinalis) was reported in 1820 by the French pharmacists, Caventou and Pelletier. The bark had long been used by indigenous groups in the Amazon region for the treatment of fevers and was first introduced into Europe in the early 1600s for the treatment of malaria. Quinine formed the basis for the synthesis of the commonly used antimalarial drugs, chloroquine and mefloquine. With the emergence of resistance to these drugs in many tropical regions, another plant long used in the treatment of fevers in traditional Chinese medicine, Artemisia annua (Quinhaosu), has yielded the agents, artemisinin and its derivatives, artemether and artether, effective against resistant strains. ~2 The analgesic, morphine, isolated in 1816 by the German pharmacist, Serturner, from the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, used in ancient Mesopotamia (vide infra), laid the basis for alkaloid chemistry, and the development of a range of highly effective analgesic agents. 12 In 1785, the English physician, Withering, published his observations on the use of the foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, for the treatment of heart disorders, and this eventually led to the isolation of the cardiotonic agent, digoxin.

Other significant drugs developed from traditional medicinal plants include: the antihypertensive agent, reserpine, isolated from Rauwolfia serpentina used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of snakebite and other ailments; 4 ephedrine, first isolated in 1887 from Ephedra sinica (Ma Huang), a plant long used in traditional Chinese medicine, and basis for the synthesis of the anti-asthma agents (beta agonists), salbutamol and salmetrol;12 and the muscle relaxant, tubocurarine, isolated from Chondrodendron and Curarea species used by indigenous groups in the

12 Amazon as the basis for the arrow poison, curare.

I.C. The golden age of antibiotics

The serendipitous discovery of penicillin from the filamentous fungus, Penicillium notatum, by Fleming in 1929, and the observation of the broad therapeutic use of this agent in the 1940s, ushered in a new era in medicine and the 'golden age' of antibiotics, which promoted the intensive investigation of nature as a source of novel bioactive agents. Micro-organisms are a prolific source of structurally diverse bioactive metabolites and have yielded some of the most important products of the pharmaceutical industry. These include: antibacterial agents, such as the penicillins (from Penicillium species), cephalosporins (from Cephalosporium acremonium), aminoglycosides, tetracyclines and polyketides (all from Streptomyces species); 12 immunosuppressive agents, such as the cyclosporins and rapamycin (from Streptomyces species); 13 cholesterol lowering agents, such as mevastatin (compactin) and lovastatin (from Penicillium species); 12 and anthelmintics and antiparasitic


drugs, such as the ivermectins (from Streptomyces species). 12 A recent publication reports the isolation of a potential antidiabetic agent from a Pseudomassaria fungal species found in the rainforests of the Congo. 14

LD. Marine sources

While marine organisms do not have a history of use in traditional medicine, the ancient Phoenicians employed a chemical secretion from marine mollusks to produce purple dyes for woolen cloth, and seaweeds have long been used to fertilize the soil. The world's oceans, covering more than 70% of the earth's surface, represent an enormous resource for the discovery of potential chemotherapeutic agents. All but two of the 28 major animal phyla are represented in aquatic environments, with eight being exclusively aquatic, mainly marine. ~5 Prior to the development of reliable scuba diving techniques some 40 years ago, the collection of marine organisms was limited to those obtainable by skin diving. Subsequently, depths from approximately 10 feet to 120 feet became routinely attainable, and the marine environment has been increasingly explored as a source of novel bioactive agents. Deep-water collections can be made by dredging or trawling, but these methods suffer from disadvantages, such as environmental damage and non-selective sampling. These disadvantages can be partially overcome by the use of manned submersibles or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). However, the high cost of these collecting forms precludes their extensive use in routine collection operations.

The pseudopterosins, isolated from the Carribbean gorgonian, Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae, possess significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity, and defined fractions obtained from extracts of the gorgonian are used topically in skin lotions. Another marine product showing potent anti-inflammatory activity, is manoalide, isolated from the sponge, Luffarriella variabilis, 15 which has led to a family of similar compounds via synthesis, some of which have reached clinical trial status. The extremely potent venoms (conatoxins) of predatory cone snails (Conus species) have yielded complex mixtures of small peptides (6-40 amino acids), which have provided models for the synthesis of novel painkillers (e.g. Ziconotide). ~6

LE. Other sources

Teprotide, isolated from the venom of the pit viper, Bothrops jaracaca, led to the design and synthesis of the ACE inhibitors, captopril and enalapril, 12 which are used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, while epibatidine, is isolated from the skin of the poisonous frog, Epipedobates tricolor, and has led to the development of a novel class of painkillers. 17

This interest in nature as a source of potential chemotherapeutic agents continues, and an analysis of the number and sources of anticancer and anti-infective agents, reported mainly in the Annual Reports of Medicinal Chemistry from 1984 to 1995 covering the years 1983 to 1994, indicates that over 60% of the approved drugs developed in these disease areas are of natural origin. 18

Drugs from nature 27

II. Anticancer agents from natural sources

Of the 92 anticancer drugs commercially available prior to 1983 in the United States and approved world-wide between 1983 and 1994, approximately 62% can be related to natural origin. 18

H.A. Plant sources

Plants have a long history of use in the treatment of cancer, 19 though many of the claims for the efficacy of such treatment should be viewed with some skepticism because cancer, as a specific disease entity, is likely to be poorly defined in terms of folklore and traditional medicine. 2~ Of the plant-derived anticancer drugs in clinical use, the best known are the so-called vinca alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine, which are isolated from the Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus. C. roseus was used by various cultures for the treatment of diabetes, and vinblastine and vincristine were first discovered during an investigation of the plant as a source of potential oral hypoglycemic agents. Therefore, their discovery may be indirectly attributed to the observation of an unrelated medicinal use of the source plant. 2~ The two clinically active agents, etoposide and teniposide, which are semi-synthetic derivatives of the natural product epipodophyllotoxin, may be considered being more closely linked to a plant originally used for the treatment of cancer. Epipodophyllotoxin is an isomer of podophyllotoxin, which was isolated as the active antitumor agent from the roots of various species of the genus Podophyllum. These plants possess a long history of medicinal use by early American and Asian cultures, including the treatment of skin cancers and warts. 2~

More recent additions to the armamentarium of naturally derived chemotherapeutic agents are the taxanes and camptothecins. Paclitaxel initially was isolated from the bark of Taxus brevifolia, collected in Washington State as part of a random collection program by the US Department of Agriculture for the National Cancer Institute [NCI]. 21 The use of various parts of T. brevifolia and other Taxus species (e.g. canadensis, baccata) by several Native American tribes for the treatment of some non-cancerous conditions has been reported, 2~ while the leaves of T. baccata are used in the traditional Asiatic Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine system, 4 with one reported use in the treatment of cancer. 19 Paclitaxel, along with several key precursors (the baccatins), occurs in the leaves of various Taxus species, and the ready semi-synthetic conversion of the relatively abundant baccatins to paclitaxel, as well as active paclitaxel analogs, such as docetaxel, 22 has provided a major, renewable natural source of this important class of drug. Likewise, the clinically active agents, topotecan (hycamptamine), irinotecan (CPT-11), 9-amino- and 9- nitro-camptothecin, are semi-synthetically derived from camptothecin, isolated from the Chinese ornamental tree, Camptotheca acuminata. 23 Camptothecin (as its sodium salt) was advanced to clinical trials by NCI in the 1970s, but was dropped because of severe bladder toxicity.


II.B. Microbial sources

Antitumor antibiotics are amongst the most important of the cancer chemotherapeutic agents, which include members of the anthracycline, bleomycin, actinomy- cin, mitomycin and aureolic acid families. 24 Clinically useful agents from these families are the daunomycin-related agents, daunomycin itself, doxorubicin, idarubicin and epirubicin; the glycopeptidic bleomycins A2 and B2 (blenoxane); the peptolides exemplified by dactinomycin; the mitosanes such as mitomycin C; and the glycosylated anthracenone, mithramycin. All were isolated from various Streptomyces species. Other clinically active agents isolated from Streptomyces include streptozocin and deoxycoformycin.

II. C. Marine sources

The first notable discovery of biologically active compounds from marine sources was the serendipitous isolation of the C-nucleosides, spongouridine and spongothy- midine, from the Caribbean sponge, Cryptotheca crypta, in the early 1950s. These compounds were found to possess antiviral activity, and synthetic analog studies eventually led to the development of cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) as a clinically useful anticancer agent approximately 15 years later, 15 together with Ara-A as an anti-viral agent. The systematic investigation of marine environments as sources of novel biologically active agents only began in earnest in the mid-1970s. During the decade from 1977 to 1987, about 2500 new metabolites were reported from a variety of marine organisms. These studies have clearly demonstrated that the marine environment is a rich source of bioactive compounds, many of which belong to totally novel chemical classes not found in terrestrial sources. 25

As yet, no compound isolated from a marine source has advanced to commercial use as a chemotherapeutic agent, though several are in various phases of clinical development as potential anticancer agents. The most prominent of these is bryostatin 1, isolated from the bryozoan, Bugula neritina. 15 This agent exerts a range of biological effects, thought to occur through modulation of protein kinase C, and has shown some promising activity against melanoma in Phase I studies. 26 Phase II trials are either in progress or are planned against a variety of tumors, including ovarian carcinoma and NHL.

The first marine-derived compound to enter clinical trials was didemnin B, isolated from the tunicate, Trididemnum solidum. 15 Unfortunately, it has failed to show reproducible activity against a range of tumors in Phase II clinical trials, while always demonstrating significant toxicity. Ecteinascidin 743, a metabolite produced by another tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata, has significant in-vivo activity against the murine B16 melanoma and human MX-1 breast carcinoma models, and has advanced to Phase II clinical trials in Europe and the United States (Personal Communication G. Faircloth, PharmaMar). The sea hare, Dolabella auricularia, an herbivorous mollusc from the Indian Ocean, is the source of more than 15 cytotoxic cyclic and linear peptides, the dolastatins. The most active of these is the linear tetrapeptide, dolastatin 10, which has been chemically synthesized and is currently in


Phase I clinical trials. 25 Sponges are traditionally a rich source of bioactive compounds in a variety of pharmacological screens, 25 and in the cancer area, halichondrin B, a macrocyclic polyether initially isolated from the sponge, Halichondria okadai in 1985, is currently in pre-clinical development by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Halichondrin B and related compounds have been isolated from several sponge genera, and the present source, a Lissodendoryx species, isbeing successfully grown by in-sea aquaculture in New Zealand territorial waters. 27 The mechanisms of action of discodermolide, 28 isolated from the Caribbean sponge, Discodermia sp., and eleutherobin, 29 isolated from a Western Australian soft coral, Eleutherobia sp., are similar to that of paclitaxel, with the former now in pre-clinical development with Novartis.

III. Development of molecular targets and high-throughput screens

With the rapid progress in the sequencing of the human genome comprising an estimated 30,000 genes, a vast amount of information is becoming available, which is leading to a better understanding of human diseases in terms of biology, diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Knowledge of the genes associated with the onset of diseases enables the identification of the proteins expressed by these genes. These proteins may serve as molecular targets for the development of high-throughput assays for the testing of thousands of materials, including natural products, some of which may act as inhibitors in the progression of the relevant diseases. It is estimated that about 1-10,000 protein targets may be identified through the human genome project. In addition, the sequencing of the genomes of pathogens and parasites will permit the identification of the genes essential for the survival of the pathogens, and their encoded proteins may serve as molecular targets for drug discovery.

Over the past 20 years, there has been an explosion in the understanding of how cancer cells work. Through the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/cgap/), it is the goal of the NCI to identify as many of the human genes associated with cancer as possible. Through gene sequence analysis, numerous mutational sites in cancer cells have been, and are being, identified, some of which are unique to specific types of cancer. This knowledge permits the prediction of the structure of the encoded proteins associated with the malignant process, and the discovery of possible molecular targets affecting important aspects of cancer cell function. Anti-cancer drugs, which have emerged from molecular target approaches, are being evaluated in the clinic, and include inhibitors of angiogenesis, farnesyl tranferase, signal transduction and metalloprotease, protein kinase (PK) antagonists, and modulators of gene expression (antisense oligonucleo- tides).

The ultimate goals envisaged are the creation of an integrated, cohesive drug- discovery program and early clinical trials system that is founded on mechanistic- based approaches, and to make emerging knowledge of cancer biology the basis for drug discovery, development and testing.


IV. Generation of molecular diversity

IV.A. Exploration of new environments

The potential of the marine environment as a source of novel drugs has already been discussed. The NCI contract collection program has been expanded to the waters off East and Southern Africa, and expansion to under-explored regions, such as the Red Sea, is being considered. These collections are performed in close collaboration with organizations based in the countries controlling the relevant waters.

Exciting untapped resources are the deep-sea vents occurring along ocean ridges, such as the East Pacific Rise and the Galapagos Rift. Exploration of these regions is being performed by several organizations, including the Center for Deep-Sea Ecology and Biotechnology of the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, using deep-sea submersibles such as Alvin, and their rich biological resources of macro- and micro-organisms are being catalogued. 3~ Samples are being evaluated by the NCI in collaboration with chemists at Research Triangle Institute.

Despite the more intensive investigation of terrestrial flora, it is estimated that only 5-15% of the approximately 250,000 species of higher plants have been systematically investigated, chemically and pharmacologically. 32 The potential of large areas of tropical rainforests remains virtually untapped and may be studied through collaborative programs with source country organizations, such as those established by the NCI.

Another vast untapped resource is that of the insect world, and organizations, such as the Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio) in Costa Rica, are investigating the potential of this resource, in collaboration with some pharmaceutical companies and the NCI.

The continuing threat to biodiversity through the destruction of terrestrial and marine ecosystems lends urgency to the need to expand the exploration of these resources as a source of novel bioactive agents.

IV.B. The unexplored potential of microbial diversity

Until recently, microbiologists were greatly limited in their study of natural microbial ecosystems due to an inability to cultivate most naturally occurring micro- organisms. In a report recently released by the American Academy of Microbiology entitled 'The Microbial World: Foundation of the Biosphere', it is estimated that 'less than 1% of bacterial species and less than 5% on fungal species are currently known', and recent evidence indicates that millions of microbial species remain undiscovered. 33

The recent development of procedures for cultivating and identifying micro- organisms will aid microbiologists in their assessment of the earth's full range of microbial diversity. In addition, procedures based on the extraction of nucleic acids from environmental samples will permit the identification of micro-organisms through the isolation and sequencing of ribosomal RNA or rDNA (genes encoding


for rRNA); samples from soils are currently being investigated, and the methods may be applied to other habitats, such as the microflora of insects and marine animals. 34 Valuable products and information are certain to result from the cloning and understanding of the novel genes, which will be discovered through these processes.

Extreme habitats harbor a host of extremophilic microbes (extremophiles), such as acidophiles (acidic sulfurous hot springs), alkalophiles (alkaline lakes), halophiles (salt lakes), baro- and thermophiles (deep-sea vents), 35 and psychrophiles (arctic and antarctic waters, alpine lakes). 36 While investigations thus far have focused on the isolation of thermophilic and hyperthermophilic enzymes, 37 there are reports of useful enzymes being isolated from other extreme habitats by companies such as Diversa Corporation (www.diversa.com). These extreme environments will undoubtedly yield novel bioactive chemotypes.

As Dr Rita Colwell, Director of the United States National Science Foundation, commenting on the importance of exploration and conservation of microbial diversity, has stated: 'Hiding within the as-yet undiscovered microorganisms are cures for diseases, means to clean polluted environments, new food sources, and better ways to manufacture products used daily in modern society'. 38

IV. C. Combinatorial biosynthesis

Advances in the understanding of bacterial aromatic polyketide biosynthesis have led to the identification of multifunctional polyketide synthase enzymes. (PKSs) responsible for the construction of polyketide backbones of defined chain lengths, the degree and regio-specificity of ketoreduction, and the regiospecificity of

39 cyclizations and aromatizations, together with the genes encoding for the enzymes. Since polyketides constitute a large number of structurally diverse natural products exhibiting a broad range of biological activities (e.g. tetracyclines, doxorubicin, and avermectin), the potential for generating novel molecules with enhanced known bioactivities, or even novel bioactivities, appears to be high. 4~

The NCI is promoting this area of research through the award of grants to consortia composed of multidisciplinary groups devoted to the application of combinatorial biosynthetic and/or combinatorial chemical techniques to the generation of molecular diversity for testing in high-throughput screens related to cancer.

IV.D. Total synthesis of natural products

The total synthesis of complex natural products has long posed challenges to the top synthetic chemistry groups world-wide and has led to the discovery of many novel reactions, and to developments in chiral catalytic reactions. 41 More recently, the efforts of some groups have been focused on the synthesis and modification of drugs that are difficult to isolate in sufficient quantities for development. In the process of total synthesis, it is often possible to determine the essential features of the molecule necessary for activity (the pharmacophore), and in some instances, this has led to the


synthesis of simpler analogs having a similar or better activity. Notable examples in the anticancer drug area are the synthesis of synthetic analogs of the marine organism metabolites, bryostatin 142 and ecteinascidin 743. 43

The synthesis of the epothilones by several groups has permitted the preparation of a large number of designed analogs and detailed structure-activity studies, which are reviewed in Ref. 44. These studies have identified desirable modifications, which might eventually lead to more suitable candidates for drug development, but thus far, none of the analogs have surpassed epothilone B in its potency against tumor cells.

The similarity in the mechanisms of action of paclitaxel, the epothilones, discodermolide and eleutherobin has led to proposals that these structurally dissimilar substances possess common pharmacophores, which could lead to the design and synthesis of analogs having substantially different structures and superior activities. 45

IV.E. Combinatorial chemistry and natural products

In the study of the structure-activity relationships of the epothilones, solid-phase synthesis of combinatorial libraries has been used to probe regions of the molecule important to retention or improvement of activity. 44 The combinatorial approach, using an active natural product as the central scaffold, can also be applied to the generation of large numbers of analogs for structure-activity studies, the so-called parallel synthetic approach. 46

The split-and-pool solid-phase synthetic approach has also been used to assemble a library of over two million natural product-like compounds from 18 chiral tetracyclic scaffolds, 30 terminal alkynes, 62 primary amines, and 62 carboxylic acids, using a six-step reaction sequence. 47 This library will be used to probe complex biological processes, including protein-protein interactions, for which no ligands have, as yet, been identified. This approach of probing complex biological processes by altering the function of proteins through binding with small molecules has been called chemical genetics. 48

V. Collaboration in drug discovery and development

V.A. The NCI role." The Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP)

Much of the NCI drug discovery and development effort has been, and continues to be, carried out through collaborations between DTP and academic institutions, research organizations and the pharmaceutical industry world-wide. Many of the naturally derived anticancer agents were developed through such efforts. The DTP/ NCI thus complements the efforts of the pharmaceutical industry and other research organizations through taking positive leads, which industry might consider too uncertain to sponsor, and conducting the high-risk research necessary to determine their potential utility as anticancer drugs. In promoting drug discovery and


development, the DTP/NCI has formulated various mechanisms for establishing collaborations with research groups world-wide.

V.B. Source-country collaboration

Drug Discovery. Memorandum of Understanding. Collections of plants and marine organisms have been carried out in over 25 countries through contracts with qualified botanical and marine biological organizations working in close collaboration with qualified source-country organizations. The recognition of the value of the natural resources (plant, marine and microbial) being investigated by the NCI and the significant contributions being made by source country scientists in aiding the performance of the NCI collection programs have led the NCI to formulate its Letter of Collection (LOC), specifying policies aimed at facilitating collaboration with, and

49 compensation of, countries participating in the drug-discovery program. With the increased awareness of genetically rich source countries to the value of

their natural resources and the confirmation of source country sovereign rights over these resources by the UN Convention of Biological Diversity, organizations involved in drug discovery and development are increasingly adopting policies of equitable collaboration and compensation in interacting with these countries. 5~ Particularly in the area of plant-related studies, source-country scientists and governments are committed to performing more of the operations in-country, as opposed to the export of raw materials. The NCI has recognized this fact for several years and has negotiated Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with a number of source country organizations suitably qualified to perform in-country processing. In considering the continuation of its plant-derived drug-discovery program, the NCI has de-emphasized its contract collection projects in favor of expanding closer collaboration with qualified source country scientists and organizations. In establishing these collaborations, the NCI undertakes to abide by the same policies of collaboration and compensation as specified in the LOC. A number of other organizations and companies have implemented similar policies. 5~ Through this mechanism, collaborations have been established with organizations in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Fiji, Iceland, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

V.C. Drug development

The Calanolides. In 1988, an organic extract of the leaves and twigs of the tree, Calophyllum lanigerum, collected in Sarawak, Malaysia in 1987, through the NCI contract with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in collaboration with the Sarawak Forestry Department, showed significant anti-HIV activity. Bioassay- guided fractionation of the extract yielded (+)-calanolide A as the main in-vitro active agent. 51 Attempted recollections in 1991 failed to locate the original tree, and collections of other specimens of the same species gave only trace amounts of calanolide A. In 1992, UIC and botanists of the Sarawak Forestry Department undertook a detailed survey of C. lanigerum and related species. As part of the


survey, latex samples of Calophyllum teysmanii were collected and yielded extracts showing significant anti-HIV activity. The active constituent was found to be (-)-calanolide B, which was isolated in yields of 20-30%. While (-)-calanolide B is slightly less active than (+)-calanolide A, it has the advantage of being readily available from the latex, which is tapped in a sustainable manner by making small slash wounds in the bark of mature trees without causing any harm to the trees. A decision was made by the NCI to proceed with the pre-clinical development of both the calanolides, and in June of 1994, an agreement based on the NCI Letter of Collection was signed between the Sarawak State Government and the NCI. Under the agreement, a scientist from the University of Malaysia Sarawak was invited to visit the NCI laboratories in Frederick to participate in the further study of the compounds.

The NCI obtained patents on both calanolides, and in 1995, an exclusive license for their development was awarded to Medichem Research, Inc., a small pharmaceutical company based near Chicago. Medichem Research had developed a synthesis of (+)-calanolide A 52 under a Small Business Innovative Research. (SBIR) grant from the NCI. The licensing agreement specified that Medichem Research negotiate an agreement with the Sarawak State Government. Meanwhile, by late 1995, the Sarawak State Forestry Department, UIC, and the NCI had collaborated in the collection of over 50 kg of latex of C. teysmanii, and kilogram quantities of (-)-calanolide B have been isolated for further development towards clinical trials. Medichem Research, in collaboration with the NCI through the signing of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) by which NCI is contributing research knowledge and expertise, has advanced (+ ) - calanolide A through pre-clinical development, and was granted an INDA for clinical studies by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Sarawak State Government and Medichem Research formed a joint-venture company, Sarawak Medichem Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (SMP), in late 1996, and SMP has sponsored Phase I clinical studies with healthy volunteers. It has been shown that doses exceeding the expected levels required for efficacy against the virus are well tolerated. Trials using patients infected with HIV-1 were initiated in early 1999.

The development of the calanolides is an excellent example of collaboration between a source country (Sarawak, Malaysia), a company (Medichem Research, Inc.) and the NCI in the development of promising drug candidates, and illustrates the effectiveness and strong commitment of the NCI to policies promoting the rights of source countries to fair and equitable collaboration and compensation in the drug discovery and development process. The development of the calanolides has been reviewed as a 'Benefit-Sharing Case Study' for the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity by staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 53

V.D. Screening agreement

In the case of organizations wishing to have pure compounds tested in the NCI drug- screening program, such as pharmaceutical and chemical companies or academic research groups, the DTP/NCI has formulated a screening agreement, which

Drugs from nature 3 5

includes terms stipulating confidentiality, patent rights, routine and non-proprietary screening and testing versus non-routine, and levels of collaboration in the drug- development process. Individual scientists and research organizations wishing to submit pure compounds for testing generally consider entering into this agreement with the NCI. Should a compound show promising anticancer activity in the routine screening operations, the NCI will propose the establishment of a more formal collaboration, such as a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) or a Clinical Trial Agreement (CTA).

V.E. D TP W W W homepage

The NCI DTP offers access to a considerable body of data and background information through its www homepage: http://dtp.nci.nih.gov. Publicly available data include results from the human tumor cell line screen and AIDS antiviral drug screen, the expression of molecular targets in cell lines, and 2D and 3D structural information. Background information is available on the drug screen and the behavior of standard agents, NCI investigational drugs, analysis of screening data by COMPARE, the AIDS antiviral drug screen, and the 3D database. Data and information are only available on so-called open compounds, which are not subject to the terms of confidential submission.

In providing screening data on extracts, they are identified by code numbers only; details of the origin of the extracts, such as source organism taxonomy and location of collection, may only be obtained by individuals or organizations prepared to sign agreements binding them to terms of confidentiality and requirements regarding collaboration with, and compensation of, source countries. Such requirements are in line with the NCI commitments to the source countries through its LOC.

Vl. Conclusion

As illustrated in the foregoing discussion, nature is an abundant source of novel chemotypes and pharmacophores. However, it has been estimated that only 5-15% of the approximately 250,000 species of higher plants have been systematically investigated for the presence of bioactive compounds, 32 while the potential of the marine environment has barely been tapped. 15 The Actinomycetales have been extensively investigated and have been, and remain, a major source of novel microbial metabolites; 54 however, less than 1% of bacterial and less than 5% of fungal species are currently known, and the potential of novel microbial sources, particularly those found in extreme environments, seems unbounded. To these natural sources can be added the potential to investigate the rational design of novel structure types within certain classes of microbial metabolites through genetic engineering, as has been elegantly demonstrated with bacterial polyketides. The proven natural product drug-discovery track record, coupled with the continuing threat to biodiversity through the destruction of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, provides a compelling argument in favor of expanded exploration of nature as a


source of novel leads for the development of drugs and other valuable bioactive agents. It is apparent that nature can provide the novel chemical scaffolds for elaboration by combinatorial approaches (chemical and biochemical), thus leading to agents that have been optimized on the basis of their biological activities.

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