Novel treatment for T-cell lymphoma

Focus on Drug Discovery. A biopharmaceutical company called Soligenix is developing the natural product hypericin as a treatment for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Hypericin, applied as a topical ointment, is activated by visible fluorescent light. Photoactivation of hypericin results in the production of oxygen radicals, which are cytotoxic.
Hypericin is a member of the family of perylenequinone natural products. Other common members include cercosporin and calphostin C (also available from Focus Biomolecules).