Squalamine drug extraction. Scientist holds up the dissected liver of a shark, prior to it being processed for the extraction of squalamine. Squalamine is a steroid chemical, found in the blood and tissue of dog-fish sharks, that has antibacterial properties. This research is being conducted at Magainin Pharmaceuticals in Pennsylvania, USA, a biotechnology company researching new types of antibiotics. It is hoped that squalamine will serve as a natural antibiotic drug. Bacteria that cause traditional human diseases are becoming resistant to all known antibiotic drugs.