Gantacurium is currently (as of March 2010) under phase III clinical development by Maruishi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Japan), which licensed the compound from Avera Pharmaceuticals.
Preliminary in vitro investigations indicate that the in vivo pharmacological activity likely undergoes rapid "chemo-inactivation" via cysteine adduct formation followed by slow biodegradation via ester hydrolysis [REF].