Fri Dec 26 02:30:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the article followed by a rewrite as a news article:
Summary:
A new approach to antivenom production, using alpacas and llamas to create nanobodies, shows promise as a more effective and broad-spectrum treatment for snakebites compared to the current horse-derived antivenom, which has limitations in its effectiveness against diverse snake species and regional variations in venom. This new technique, developed initially for African snakes, is now being explored for Indian snakes, potentially revolutionizing snakebite treatment and tackling what the WHO classifies as a neglected tropical disease.
News Article:
New Nanobody Antivenom Offers Hope for Snakebite Victims in India and Beyond
The Hindu, Bikaner, December 26, 2025 – Snakebites continue to claim tens of thousands of lives annually in India, particularly in rural areas, despite the availability of antivenom. However, current antivenom technology, based on horse-derived antibodies, has limitations, prompting a global search for more effective solutions.
A breakthrough in antivenom research may offer a lifeline to snakebite victims worldwide. Researchers are now exploring the use of alpacas and llamas to create “nanobody” antivenoms. This innovative approach, inspired by work on African snake venoms, holds the potential to be more effective against a broader range of snake species and their regional venom variations.
Current Indian antivenom is designed against the venom of the “Big Four” snakes, including the spectacled cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper, which is harvested primarily by the Irula Snake Catcher’s Industrial Co-operative Society in Tamil Nadu. Traditional antivenom is created by injecting these venoms into horses, allowing their immune systems to produce antibodies. These antibodies are then extracted and processed into antivenom.
The limitations of this approach include variable effectiveness against different snake species (India has over 60 venomous species) and regional variations in venom composition, which can render the current antivenom less effective.
The new research, spearheaded by a Danish laboratory and in collaboration with researchers at the National Research Centre on Camel at Bikaner in Rajasthan, involves injecting a cocktail of snake venoms into alpacas and llamas, which produce small, stable antibody fragments called nanobodies. These nanobodies are then selected for their ability to strongly bind to snake venom toxins and can be mass-produced in bacteria, providing a cost-effective and scalable solution. Camel-derived antivenom already has been demonstrated to neutralise Sochurek’s saw-scaled viper, found in this region.
Early experiments on mice have shown promising results, with strong antivenom activity observed against a range of snakes. Researchers are optimistic that this new approach could lead to the development of a broad-spectrum antivenom, significantly reducing the impact of snakebites in India and globally.
The World Health Organization recognizes snakebite as a neglected tropical disease, and this research marks a significant step forward in addressing this critical public health challenge.
First Piper 