© TIMELINE L i l l i a n L 1895 i n c o l n The first snake antivenom produced, against the Indian F SRPNTS o u n d Cobra... Immunotherapy with animal-derived antivenom a t i o n has continued to be the main treatment for snakebite INCREASING ACCESS TO LIFE SAVING evenoming for 120 years SNAKEBITE TREATMENTS Snakebite. 2014 The Fav-Afrique antivenom, produced by Sanofi Pasteur The Scientific Research Partnership for Snakebite is a potentially (France) permanently discontinued Neglected Tropical Snakebite (SRPNTS), Each year, approximately life-threatening neglected 5.4 million people are tropical disease (NTD) that 2018 a consortium of partners in five countries, bitten by a snake, of is responsible for immense World Health Organization (WHO) lists snakebite envenoming consititutes a significant investment in snakebite whom 2.7 million are suffering among some as a neglected tropical disease therapy research. SRPNTS aims to treat critical injected with venom. This 5.8 billion people who are illness from snake venom in sub-Saharan Africa leads to 400,000 people at risk of encountering a 2019 and India - regions with the highest snakebite being permanently venomous snake. WHO launches a strategy to prevent and control snakebite morbidity and mortality burden. disabled and between envenoming, including a program targeting affected 83,000-138,000 deaths communities and their health systems annually, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. OUR NEXT-GENERATION SNAKEBITE Survivors of untreated envenoming may be left with SRPNTS LAUNCHED THERAPIES WITH UNIVERSAL amputation, blindness, mental health issues, and other In 2019 with £9 million of funding from the UK government forms of disability that severely affect their productivity. through the Department for International Development AIM EFFICACY AGAINST MULTIPLE SNAKES, (DFID) through March 2021 Most victims are agricultural workers and children in the ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA AND INDIA. poorest parts of Africa and Asia. The economic cost of treating snakebite envenoming is unimaginable in most OUTPUTS Funded through a generous grant from the communities, and puts families and communities at risk UK government through the Department for of economic peril just to pay for treatment. TOXIN CHARACTERIZATION International Development (DFID), SRPNTS Most pathogenic toxin targets for African and seeks to develop novel next generation Indian snakes identified and produced snakebite therapies (NGSTs) with unparalleled efficacy, safety, and affordability to reduce ANTIBODY DISCOVERY The world produces less than half of the antivenom morbidity and mortality of venomous snakebite. Broadly protective antibodies against venom from it needs, and this only covers 57% of the world’s diverse snake species discovered and developed species of venomous snake. Barriers to treatment are driven by challenges plaguing antivenom production and use, characterized by a 19th POLITICAL/CIVIL SUPPORT century technology, which continues to have high Information and knowledge contributing to political manufacturing costs and remain unaffordable and civil society support for NGSTs “The DFID grant is a unique opportunity and inaccessible to the poorest people who are that will usher in new snake antivenom most in need. Moreover, multi-venom treatments therapies, applying state-of-the-art science commonly used in Africa and India have weak, CAPACITY BUILDING in advanced immunology and monoclonal unreliable effectiveness against the venom of any Clinical and scientific capacity building enhanced antibody and recombinant protein single snake species and may even have harmful for sustained snakebite research and evaluation technology.” side effects, such as anaphylactic shock. capabilities in LMICs Prof. Abdulrazaq G. Habib, Bayero University, Nigeria GLOBAL ANTIVENOM CRISIS MEDICALLY IMPORTANT SNAKES Expert institutions in snakebite and snakebite treatment paired The Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions with antibody-technologies For 50 years, the Centre for Snakebite Research and capabilities developed to & Interventions at LSTM combat HIV/AIDS (Liverpool School of Tropical Every 5 minutes Medicine) has conducted a diverse portfolio of research 50 people are bitten activity to better understand the biology of snake venoms by a snake and use this information to improve the efficacy, safety, and affordability of antivenom OUR will be injected with venom treatment of tropical snakebite 25 PUFF ADDER BLACK MAMBA Dendropaspis polylepis. victims. 4 will be permanently disabled Bitis arietans. Inhabiting a wide range in sub- 1 will die This viper is Africa’s largest Saharan Africa, this predator Partner organisations, K-SRIC PARTNERS and is found throughout sub- is active during the day and is (Kenya Snakebite Research Saharan Africa, commonly in and Intervention Centre) and comfortable on the ground and IAVI rocky grasslands. in trees. N-SRIC (Nigeria Snakebite Research and Intervention A non-profit scientific Centre), undertake multi- research organization. Their disciplinary research and mission is to translate scientific clinical activities leading to discoveries into affordable, better diagnosis and therapies globally accessible public for snakebite, while working health solutions. towards community-based model intervention systems Scripps Research with the primary goal of saving Scripps Research advances the lives and limbs of those scientific understanding, afflicted with snakebite. educates the scientists of tomorrow, and impacts human The Indian Institute of health across the globe. They Science are science changing life. SPECTACLED COBRA SAW-SCALED VIPER India’s leading institution of Naja naja. Echis spp. advanced education and One of the deadliest snakes in A small viper found throughout research in the sciences and OUR South Asia, found throughout Northern Africa, the Middle engineering. the Indian subcontinent. East, and India DONOR UK AID CAN MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE The world’s “UK aid has invested in research to identify the complex antibodies needed to develop biggest hidden affordable, accessible, effective treatments. This is a fantastic example of how UK aid health crisis can make a real difference in the world.” RED SPITTING COBRA GABOON VIPER Naja pallida Bitis gabonica A relatively small cobra, mainly Slow-moving, placid, and UK International Development Snakebite. found in East Africa in savanna nocturnal ambush hunters Secretary, May 16, 2019 Both a consequence and cause and semi-desert areas. mostly found in forested areas in sub-Saharan Africa. of tropical poverty. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP FOR NEGLECTED TROPICAL SNAKEBITE SRPNTS GRATEFULLY GRATEFULLY SRPNTS ACKNOWLEDGES THE GENEROUS SUPPORT PROVIDED OUR BY DONOR.