Scientists have developed a potent antivenom using antibodies from a snakebite survivor, which has shown early success in protecting against venom from some of the world’s deadliest snakes.
Tim Friede, a snake enthusiast from Wisconsin, has survived around 200 venomous snakebites and injected himself with snake venom more than 600 times.
His goal was to build immunity—a risky pursuit that has now contributed to a promising scientific breakthrough.
Researchers from Centivax, a biotech firm in South San Francisco, and Columbia University saw Friede’s case as a unique opportunity. After receiving ethics approval and Friede’s consent, the team collected two vials of his blood.
They isolated antibodies that had formed through his repeated venom exposure and began testing them in the lab.
Combination therapy protects mice from deadly venom
The research, published in Cell, describes how two of Friede’s antibodies were combined with varespladib, a drug known to block venom enzymes that harm nerves and muscles. The resulting treatment helped mice survive venom from 19 species of elapid snakes, including cobras and mambas.
Each antibody targets a different group of neurotoxins, blocking their ability to paralyze the nervous system. Scientists hope this approach could one day lead to a broad-spectrum antivenom that works across multiple snake species in man.
Human antibodies may offer safer treatment options
Jacob Glanville, Centivax’s chief executive and one of the lead authors, said using human-derived antibodies could lower the risk of allergic reactions compared to current antivenoms made from animal blood.
“Snake venom is dangerous,” Glanville said. “We did not advise Friede to do this, and no one else needs to do this again — we have all the molecules we need.”
Experts call for modern alternatives to outdated methods
For over a century, antivenoms have been made by injecting animals like horses with venom and collecting the resulting antibodies. These treatments protect against only a few snake species and are often hard to access in remote or low-income areas.
“Considering the advanced technologies available in immunology today, it is unacceptable to continue relying on these outdated methods for treating snake bites,” said Kartik Sunagar, a biologist at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.
Cost and access remain major hurdles
While the new treatment shows potential, experts caution that real-world challenges remain. Sunagar noted that scaling up production of lab-made antibodies may be expensive.
Jean-Philippe Chippaux, an emeritus researcher in Paris, added that in many cases, the biggest problem is not the treatment’s effectiveness but how late it reaches patients.
Real-world testing begins in Australia
Centivax plans to test the antivenom in dogs bitten by snakes in Australia to gather practical data. If the experimental treatment doesn’t work within minutes, the dogs will be given standard antivenom to ensure safety.
Glanville said these trials are a key step before moving to human testing, as they will show how the treatment performs in urgent, real-life situations.
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