The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed an anti-neoplastic compound for possible treatment of cancer and an herbal composition against dengue vector. The agency has now launched search for interested companies to commercialise these two compounds.

“Cancer therapy is distributed among three interacting subspecialties. The role of surgeon, the radiation oncologist, and the medical oncologist will continue to evolve as new agents becomes clinically available and a multi-modality approached to cancer becomes the rule. The discovery of biologic agents of potential clinical importance continues at a rapid pace,” according to the ICMR.

In the present invention, a novel bioactive molecule from the skin extract of common 'murrel channa striatus' which possesses potent anti-neoplastic property was isolated and purified for the first time. This novel anti-neoplastic compound is devoid of haemorrhegic, haemolytic and defibrinogenating activity. It has no toxic effects on liver and kidney tissues. The compound which already got an India patent was purified by simple and cheaper methods, ICMR sources said.

In another invention, the ICMR has developed an herbal composition useful as larvicide agent against dengue vector. Larval control using this composition will not only stop transmission chain of the disease but will also eliminate inter-generation circulating viruses across vector mosquito, sources said.

“The simple measure to break man-mosquito contact advised through use of bed nets cannot be effective against day biting dengue vector mosquitoes. Since the virus transmitted is transovarial as well as man to mosquitoes and can be retained in nature through transovarial route across mosquito generations, control of larval mosquito becomes a very pertinent issue in intervening transmission cycle of dengue. At present no specific synthetic or bio-larvicide is available against dengue vectors,” ICMR official said.

The larvicidal agent, which has already been granted an Indian patent, is a natural product of wildly grown desert shrub and the raw material is easily available. The plant can also be grown in laboratory through plant tissue culture. The economic and viable agent is also biodegradable and eco-friendly.