Overview
- The recombinant therapy combines eight nanobodies isolated from an immunized alpaca and llama after screening against venoms from 18 medically relevant African elapids.
- In mouse studies, the cocktail neutralized 17 of 18 venoms and markedly reduced venom‑induced tissue damage compared with the commercial Inoserp PAN-AFRICA antivenom.
- The treatment failed against the eastern green mamba and provided only partial protection for some green and black mamba venoms, reflecting species-specific toxin variation.
- Researchers report nanobody advantages that could aid access, including smaller size for faster tissue penetration, lower immunogenicity, high stability, and scalable in‑vitro production.
- The team is optimizing the mix and planning larger‑animal studies, with estimates of clinical trials in one to two years and a potential product in three to four years if funding is secured.