Discovery of Human IgGs against α-Cobratoxin for Development of Recombinant Antibody-based Antivenom

More than 5.5 million people are bitten by venomous snakes per year on a global basis. This leads to approx. 125,000 deaths and 3 times as many amputations. Particularly Sub-Saharan Africa is affected by the problem. Current antivenoms are still being produced by a method developed in the 1890’s, in which large mammals (typically horses) are immunized with snake venom and antiserum is derived from the animals blood. The incompatibility with the human immune system of these animal derived antivenoms leads to a range of side effects,such as serum sickness, anaphylaxis, and sometimes even death. Despite the maturity of medicinal chemistry and advances in drug development, there remains a need for modern antivenoms with better safety profile and improved efficacy [4].We have set out to tackle this challenge by attempting to develop the World’s first antivenom based on recombinant, humanized antibodies. Such an antivenom will be cheaper to produce in large scale and is anticipated to have a much improved safety and efficacy profile.