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Dr. Jacobs. To let the public know ? 



Mr. Rogers. Yes, to let the American public know what is being done 

 in this area. 



Dr. Jacobs. We do have a public information system, but I do not 

 know really whether or not any of the particular items that 



Mr. Rogers. I would like a rundown on the benefits that we have al- 

 ready derived out of research in the health field. I want to get some- 

 thing out to the public on it. I think they ought to know it. 



I notice you mention that already antiviral and antitumor properties 

 have been demonstrated in shellfish extract. 



Dr. Jacobs. That is right, sir. I would be glad to elaborate on that 

 for you, too. These developments are not of such a level that the people 

 who demonstrated them have yet been able to "sell" them to other in- 

 vestigators as especially useful things. 



It is very interesting — in relation to some of these shellfish ex- 

 tracts — that there is a seasonal distribution in the times when these 

 extracts have some antiviral or antitumor activity. This is why I am 

 focusing on the idea of the marine plankton, the tiny organisms, be- 

 cause I think there are seasonal changes in the distribution of those 

 organisms. If we are to find an antitumor extract, we probably will do 

 it by identifying the right organisms which are around when the clams 

 are harvested and are shown to have some minimal activity. 



Mr. Rogers. I would like a rundown on the activity in this area, 

 the funding, and the number of people involved. 



Dr. Jacobs. I would be happy to provide it. 



Mr. Rogers. I notice you mention two specific drugs that you say 

 have been most helpful, coumarin 



Dr. Jacobs. That is an anticoagulant. It is from a bean. It is not from 

 a marine form of life. I was merely giving the analogy that natural 

 products with pharmacological activity usually reveal themselves to us 

 first because of their poisoning effect, and that when we go to work 

 on what is causing the toxicity, then we find that they are working one 

 way or another, and we can put them to proper use medically. This was 

 an analogy. 



(The requested information follows :) 



Drugs Feom Marine Life 



Research on organisms occurring in the marine environment has disclosed 

 many pharmacologically active substances, some of them in common use today 

 and others only recently investigated. A growing body of literature has accom- 

 panied expanding activity in this field. For example, a Conference on Drugs from 

 the Sea was held August 27-29, 1967, at the University of Rhode Island under 

 the sponsorship of the Marine Biology Committee of the Marine Technology 

 Society together with The College of Pharmacy of the University of Rhode Island 

 and the Bio-Instrumentation Advisory Council of the American Institute of 

 Biological Sciences. The conference program together with the abstracts of the 

 papers delivered give some idea of current activity in marine pharmacology. 

 As will be noted, a number of the papers given at the conference were prepared 

 by investigators in the Public Health Service or with PHS financial support. 



Accurate information is not available on the total manpower and funding 

 currently being devoted to investigation and development of drugs from marine 

 life. It can reasonably be estimated, however, that the equivalent of several man- 

 years of time are now being spent annually in this area by professional investi- 

 gators employed or financially supported by the Public Health Service alone. 



The following information provides certain outstanding illustrations of drugs 

 from the marine environment rather than a comprehensive view. 



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