TECHNOLOGY

Sea4Us combines its core expertise in Marine Biology and Electrophysiology and focuses on compound library generation, drug discovery and preclinical development from marine substances and compounds. We screen such compounds against a number of therapeutic targets.

MARINE BIOLOGY

PHOTOGRAPHY João Rodrigues | CHIMERAVISUALS

Our discovery begins in the ocean: the interaction between species and their compounds’ bioactivities are the initial phase of our process of drug discovery.  Millions of years of evolution on marine animals resulted in highly specialized and ingenious solutions for defense against predators, comprising compounds that have demonstrated a wide range of pharmacological properties.

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

PHOTOGRAPHY João Rodrigues | CHIMERAVISUALS

The elecrophysiological testing allows to assess neuronal bioactivity for each compound of our compound library as 0ur therapeutic targets are the ion channels involved in pathologies. After such validation, in silico and ex vivo assays are performed to assess toxicity levels.

PIPELINE

development phase

therapeutic area

discovery

Preclinical trials

Clinical trials
– phase 1

Clinical trials
– phase 2a

Neuropathic Pain

Inflammatory Pain

Cancer Pain

urology

immunology

infectious diseases

NEUROPATHIC CHRONIC PAIN
Inflammatory chronic pain
chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
overactive Bladder
autoimmune diseases
biocide

METHODOLOGY

  • DIVING AND SAMPLE COLLECTION
    Marine ecosystems comprise a continuous resource of immeasurable chemical entities that have been optimized for bioactivity during millions of years of evolution. Sea4Us has its own diving team and our discovery begins in the ocean: the interaction between species and their compounds’ bioactivities are the initial phase of our process of the discovery.
  • LIBRARY OF MARINE EXTRACTS
    As more marine compounds become purified and tested for their bioactivity, more important medical applications will inevitably be discovered.
  • DRUG SCREENING
    Sea4Us specialises in electrophysiological testing in order to assess neuronal bioactivity for each compound of its library. We screen such compounds against a number of molecular targets (ion channels) such as NaV, KV, CaV and TRP channels. Such experimental screening is complemented by computational in silico analysis that tune the development of innovative molecules.
  • IP PROTECTION
    Patents for the new bioactive compounds (including variants), their modes of action and their syntheses methods are obtained.
  • LEAD COMPOUND OPTIMIZATION
    The most promising molecules and variants are selected by analysis of their efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics profiles, by in vitro, in vivo and in silico methodologies.
  • PRE-CLINICAL VALIDATION
    The selected molecules are tested through more thorough in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo efficacy, toxicity and pharmacokinetics assays.
  • CLINICAL TRIALS
    After passing all required preclinical tests, the new pharmaceutical drugs under development will enter clinical trials.