Table 2 List of potential pipeline marine natural products under clinical trails against cancer and other human diseases

Anticancer

Aplidine (Aplidin®) (dehydrodidemnin B)

Aplidium, Candida albicans

Mediterranean tunicate

Antiproliferative action. Acts by blocking the cell cycle arrest and inducing apoptosis

Multiple myeloma (Phase III of clinical trials) T-cell lymphoma (Phase II of clinical trials)

[147, 150,151,152,153,154,155]

Plinabulin

Synthetic analog of a natural product isolated from a marine fungus (Aspergillus spp.)

Inhibition of tubulin polymerization Non-small cell lung cancer (Phase III of clinical trials)

Non-small cell lung cancer (Phase III of clinical trials)

[13]

Salinosporamide A (NPI-0052/Marizomib)

Marine Actinobacteria Salinispora tropica

Proteasome inhibitor

Multiple myeloma (Phase I of clinical trials)

[54,55,56,57, 59,60,61,62]

Dolstatin 10

Sea hare Dolabella auricularia, a cyanobacterial origin

Inhibition of the tubulin polymerization and GTP hydrolysis

Phase I and II but it failed in phase II, however, Dolstatins are in phase III trials

[117,118,119,120, 122, 125, 127, 128, 132, 133]

Dolstatin 15

Sea hare Dolabella auricularia

Antimitotic and capable of disrupting tubulin polymerization

Phase II clinical trials

[168,169,170,171,172]

Coibamide A

Leptolyngbya cyanobacterium

Induce apoptosis

Under preclinical investigation

[168,169,170]

Alzheimer’s disease

Bryostatin 1,

Ectoprocta species‑Bugula Neritina

Potent modulator of protein kinase C

Phase II of clinical trials

[45]

DMXB-A

Synthetic analog of the toxic alkaloid produced by nemertines worm species, such as Paranemertes peregrine and Amphiporus lactifloreu

Acts by improving cognition and sensory deficit

Phase I and II of clinical trials completed

Analgesics

Tetrodotoxin

Isolated from fish, algae, and bacteria

Blocks voltage‑dependent sodium channels

Phase II and III of clinical trials for neuropathic pain in cancer patients and peripheral neuralgia in cancer patients, respectively

[45]

Antibacterial

Anthracimycin

Marine Actinobacteria

Activity against Bacillus anthracis and MRSA. MoA unclear

Preliminary stages of drug development

[45]