Challenges and successes in the development of natural product drugs

One of the great challenges in academic drug discovery is finding a pathway for promising discoveries to provide entry into preclinical development. This is particularly challenging, as academics may not be fully aware of the complex characteristics a compound may need to be considered a truly promising lead. Complicating this picture is the perception that academics do not fully understand drug development and thus provide superficial evidence of success at best. But, even with these difficulties, virtually all of the approved marine-derived drugs and most in clinical trials were discovered by academic laboratories. Some examples of success from personal experience and suggestions on how to overcome these issues will be presented.