Raurkela: Researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Department of Life Science at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, in collaboration with researchers from the Department of Chemistry at IISER Berhampur, have developed a novel cotarnine-derived formulation with potential applications in oral cancer treatment. The research focuses on the design, synthesis and formulation of a new cotarnine derivative to explore potential therapeutic approaches for oral cancer. The team combined medicinal chemistry and formulation science to develop a candidate for further preclinical investigation. The innovation has been granted a patent titled “Design, Synthesis, and Formulation of a Cotarnine Derivative for Oral Cancer Therapy” under Patent No. 604125.
The inventors include Laxmipriya Prusty, Harekrushna Sahoo, Sruti Biswal and Bibekanand Mallick of NIT Rourkela, and Pradyota Kumar Behera and Laxmidhar Rout of IISER Berhampur. Oral cancer remains a significant health challenge, particularly in India, where late diagnosis and limitations associated with conventional treatments can affect patient outcomes. Against this backdrop, the researchers designed and synthesised a cotarnine derivative and developed a formulation to investigate its anticancer potential.
According to the researchers, the patented technology is based on the rational design and formulation of a cotarnine-derived molecular entity that demonstrated anticancer activity against oral cancer cells. The researchers said the formulation could serve as a basis for further studies to assess its efficacy and safety. Sahoo said the development of the cotarnine derivative was an important step in exploring new molecular entities for oral cancer therapy. “Through an integrated approach involving molecular design, synthesis and formulation, we have developed a promising candidate with potential for further preclinical and translational research,” Sahoo said.
“This work highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex health care challenges,” Mallick said the derivative showed significant activity against oral cancer cells, particularly tongue cancer cells, at very low concentrations. “Our findings indicate that the developed cotarnine derivative shows significant activity against oral cancer cells, particularly tongue cancer cells, even at very low concentrations,” Mallick said. “The next important step is to validate these findings through further preclinical studies, including animal studies, followed by clinical evaluation.” The researchers said further preclinical studies will be needed to establish the safety, efficacy and therapeutic potential of the formulation. The patent adds to NIT Rourkela’s research and intellectual property efforts and reflects collaboration between chemistry and life sciences researchers to explore potential applications in cancer treatment.
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