Cyplasin

Cyplasin is a 56-kDa recombinant cytotoxic glycoprotein originally isolated from the secreted mucus of the European sea hare (*Aplysia punctata*). Developed by Cyplasin Biomedical Ltd., it is being investigated as a biologic therapeutic for the treatment of skin cancer and melanoma. The drug exhibits preferential toxicity toward autonomously growing transformed mammalian cells at nanomolar concentrations. Unlike many traditional chemotherapeutics, cyplasin induces a unique form of cell death that is distinct from both apoptosis and necrosis, showing high selectivity for tumor cells while sparing normal tissue. The recombinant form of the protein is produced using recombinant DNA technology in mammalian or insect cell expression systems and has been protected by patents in multiple countries including the US, Japan, and Australia.

Brand names

Cyplasin-SC

Other names

Aplysia punctata cytotoxic glycoprotein