It was in 2017. American immunologist Jacob Glanville discovered in the press the existence of Tim Friede. This Californian said that he had injected hundreds of times the venom of some of the most deadly snakes in the world, including cobras, mambas and crotals, by being bitten or inoculating their diluted poison. Without it giving him much anymore.
The “crazy” in the eyes of many appears as a “raw diamond”, worthy Pasteur heirfor the researcher because self -taught records all doses received – more than 700 increasing doses of venom – and the progression of his symptoms from his first misadventures. He contacts him, recovers blood sounds.
Eight years later, Glanville, CEO of the company Centivax, a start-up that seeks to design wide spectrum vaccines, and Peter Kwong, professor at the college of doctors and vagelos surgeons at Columbia University, published Friday in the journal The Cell The details of an antivenin capable of protecting from the bites of 19 species of poisonous snakes. Corail snakes, mambas, cobras, taïpans, kraits and other creatures belonging to the family of enlisters.
Different serums were tested on mice poisoned by the venom of each of the 19 species, to discover the components that could neutralize a venom and then two, then as many as possible. The teams resulted in a cocktail made up of two Friede antibodies and a small molecule, the Varespladib. This anti-inflammatory has since 2019 has been with the FDA The status of an orphan medication for its potential in the treatment of snake bites, due to its ability to inhibit an enzyme present in 95 % of snake bites.
Mouses protected against bites of coral, Mambas or Cobras snakes
The SNX-B03 offers mice 100 % protection against venom for 13 species of snakes and partial protection ranging from 20 to 40 % for six others, depending on the study.
The Centivax team now hopes to launch research in the field in Australia, where there are only enhanced snakesprobably by injecting the cure for accidentally bitten dogs. In parallel, she continues her work to find a remedy against the Viperidés snakes.
Will come a moment when it will be necessary to test the SNX-B03 on the man. No need to count on Friede this time: become director chez to concentaxhe renounced to get into snake venom in 2018 after having come close to death.
