Research - Shark Oil Extract

Shark oil slows cancer

An exciting collaboration has led to the development of a shark oil extract which slows the progress of cancer.

University of Otago’s Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Industrial Research Ltd. have developed the extract, and overseas trials have shown that it slows cancer - although it is not a cure.

Dr Paul Davis, Director of the School of Medicine’s Bioactivity Investigation Group, says the oil resulted from research in the early 90s investigating whether shark cartilage might be effective against cancer. The research found that the claims were true – but ultimately discovered that an oil from the sharks worked better, and that it was not limited to one type of shark.

Active Ingredient

“We found that the active ingredient was lipid fatty material. Cartilage does not have a lot of fat, so we thought we’d be able to produce the oil from muscle and other organs. It was even more active than cartilage.”

The find was patented and licensed and Japanese investors who had access to thousands of tonnes of frozen shark meat came on board. Sharks are freeze-dried so the oil can be extracted.

Trial Results

“Although it’s not a cure, it seems to stop the growth of blood vessels supplying tumours,” says Dr Davis. “A trial organised by the Austrian Cancer Society evaluated it in 22 terminal cancer patients. The majority have lived longer than predicted and two people were even able to return to full-time work. There are similar stories from trials in Japan.”

The future of the product will depend on finding a sustainable resource.

“We’re very conscious that sharks are endangered and that our resource is limited – we’re doing further work in that area at the moment. There may be another species with similar properties.”

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