[5] Scientists from that institute started a company called Neurotrope,[6] and launched another clinical trial in Alzheimer's disease,[7] preliminary results of which were released in 2017.

[2] Bryostatin 1 was first isolated in the 1960s by George Pettit from extracts of a species of bryozoan, Bugula neritina, based on research from samples originally provided by Jack Rudloe to Jonathan L. Hartwell’s anticancer drug discovery group at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

A number of structurally simpler synthetic analogs also have been prepared which exhibit similar biological profile and in some cases greater potency, which may provide a practical supply for clinical use.

In the bryostatin pathway, the BryR module catalyzes β-Branching between a local acetoacetyl acceptor acyl carrier protein (ACP-a) and an appropriate donor BryU acetyl-ACP (ACP-d).

After β-Branching, subsequent dehydration by a BryT enoyl-CoA hydratase homolog (ECH), as well as BryA O-methylation and BryB double bond isomerization of the generated HMGS product, are carried out in specific domains of the bry cluster.