Glycomar's starfish are media stars

9th November 2005

Those of you with a keen eye on the national press and radio will no doubt be aware of the heralded success of Gllycomar Ltd. Interest has been inspired by the recent use of ‘starfish slime’ to acquire a secure income stream for the company. From the Scottish broadsheets to the tabloid press, as well as a great deal of exposure on the net and national radio, the company is being heralded as a rising star in the biotech world.

The product, derived from the slime, is being supplied under licence to Rhinopharma Ltd, a Canadian company developing drugs to combat respiratory diseases and allergies such as hay fever.

GlycoMar, which means 'sweet sea', was specifically formed in February of this year to exploit the potential of sugars derived from marine invertebrates. The sugars are known to play a central role in many diseases including cancer, inflammation and infection. GlycoMar's niche is in early stage drug discovery and replacement of a number of health products that are currently supplied from mammals.