Just came across this, which may be of interest:
 
> Cone snails lead to pain killer
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> Meanwhile, California-based Neurex took an interest in cone snails, beautiful creatures collected> for their shells in the Philippines and elsewhere. Their beauty comes at a price -- the snails are> armed with tiny barbs connected to poison sacs that can stun and paralyze a fish in> milliseconds.
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> Each cone snail secretes dozens of different toxins, which scientists have been analyzing. One> blocks calcium channels -- chemical doorways that are important to communication between cells,> and Neurex found it can specifically block the kind of pain signals found in chronic, untreatable> pain, such as that suffered by cancer patients.
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> They created a synthetic version now named ziconotide. "In the spinal cord, it blocks synaptic> transmissions only between pain-sensing and pain-transmitter nerve cells," George Miljanich,> senior director of biochemistry at Neurex, said.
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> He said ziconotide is 1,000 times stronger than morphine but does not have the undesirable side> effects such as growing tolerance, and an irresistable desire to harpoon and devour small fish. The effects of morphine start wearing off after about a week> and patients need more and more to get the same effect, but with ziconotide, "the same dose> works a year later," Miljanich said.
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> Neurex has completed Phase III clinical trials, which show the drug is safe and works. They are> now preparing to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to license it.
                                                                                                                Cheers,
                                                                                                                JR.