Table 3.
Tunicate secondary metabolites that are FDA-approved agents or in clinical trial (Mayer et al., 2010; Newman and Cragg, 2016).
| Compound | Biosynthetic class of agent | Source | Disease/molecular target area | Clinical status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trabectedin (ET-743) (EU registered only) | NRPS-derived alkaloid | Ecteinascidia turbinata | Cancer/minor groove of DNA | FDA approved |
| Plitidepsin (Aplidine) | Cyclic depsipeptide | Aplidium albicans | Cancer/Rac1 and JNK activation | Phase III |
| Trabectedin analog (PM01183) | NRPS alkaloid | E. turbinata | Cancer/minor groove of DNA, nucleotide excision repair | Phase I |
| Vitilevuamide | NRPS | Didemnum cuculiferum and Polysyncranton lithostrotum | Cancer/microtubules | Preclinical |