Healthcare

<p>Disease ailments are changing the patterns, and the new diseases are emerging due to changing environments. The enormous growth of world population has overburdened the existing resources for drugs. And hence, the drug manufacturers are always on the lookout for new resources to develop effective and safe drugs for the increasing demands of the world population. Seventy‑five percentage of earth&rsquo;s surface is covered by water but research into the pharmacology of marine organisms is limited, and most of it still remains unexplored. Marine environment represents countless and diverse resource for new drugs to combat major diseases such as cancer or malaria. It also offers an ecological resource comprising a variety of aquatic plants and animals. These aquatic organisms are screened for antibacterial, immunomodulator, anti‑fungal, anti‑inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, analgesic, and anti-malarial properties. They are used for new drug developments extensively across the world. Marine pharmacology offers the scope for research on these drugs of marine origin. Few institutes in India offer such opportunities which can help us in the quest for new drugs.</p><p>The marine environment has become a promising source of natural products, molecules, and drugs of therapeutic use. Having enormous varieties with a great diversity of organism and virgin areas of marine life, the prospects of yielding more novel products from the sea is enormous. The curiosity of science and industry has established the oceans as a prospective source for new potential drug leads. Scientists have come up with drugs of various categories out of which anticancer, anti‑inflammatory, analgesics, and antivirals are the most important to mention.</p><p>These lead molecules are in various stages of preclinical and clinical testing stages around the world. Many drugs from marine sources have a promising effect on several chronic and unbeatable diseases like cancer. They may prove to open up a new chapter of making the treatment of chronic diseases cheaper and successful. After identification, extraction, and large-scale production of promising marine natural products of therapeutic uses, their marketing and commercial exploitation of potential is dependent on the results of preclinical and clinical data. The current screening for active natural products should be increased along with a large and rapid random screening method. Several research institutes and universities are working in this field to develop new moieties and train people to work in this area. The technology should be targeted optimally for drug research, approvals, and launches. The medical/clinical pharmacologist from India should consider taking up the further research in marine pharmacology to help our country in new drug developments. The evolution of marine pharmacology as a specialty in India will help us optimize the use of rich marine resources around our beautiful country gifted with a vast coastline.</p><p><strong>Examples of approved drugs of Marine origin:</strong></p><p><strong><img src="https://kradminasset.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/ExpertViews/Harshad+1.PNG" /></strong></p>