Common Blood Thinner Offers Hope for Cobra Antivenom

An international team of researchers has discovered that Heparin, a widely used blood thinner, can be repurposed as an effective antidote for cobra venom.

This promising development could revolutionise snakebite treatment, particularly in the rural areas of low- and middle-income countries where the impact is most severe.

Cobra bites, prevalent in parts of Africa and India, often result in necrosis – tissue death that can lead to amputations or loss of limb function. Traditional antivenoms, typically administered intravenously, fail to prevent this localised tissue damage.

Heparin, however, can reach infected tissue directly, offering a more effective solution.

Published in the Journal of Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, 17 July, the study explains how the medicine neutralises venom toxins by acting as a decoy, binding to and neutralising the substances that cause tissue damage.

Lead author Tian Du of the University of Sydney emphasised that Heparin, an essential medicine according to the World Health Organization (WHO), could be rapidly deployed as a cost-effective treatment following successful human trials.

This research aligns with the WHO’s goal to halve deaths and disabilities from snakebites by 2030. The discovery also opens new avenues for developing universal antidotes for other venomous species, potentially transforming the treatment landscape for neglected tropical diseases.

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