ORONO, Maine — A Maine company thinks lobster blood can play a role in new drugs.
The company, Lobster Unlimited of Orono, is investigating whether lobster blood can be used as a potential weapon against viruses and cancer, and representatives say results are promising.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued the company a patent in late October related to its work, which would use the crustaceans for a purpose far removed from dousing them in butter.
The company, headed by a longtime lobster scientist Robert Bayer, proposes to use compounds derived from lobsters' circulatory fluid to improve human health.
Bayer wants to partner with a drug company. The path to approval will be a long one.