Researchers from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust research programme in Kilifi have identified a drug, unithiol, that can neutralise snake bite venom through an oral dose.

According to a statement from the researchers, the drug's Phase 1 clinical trial showed that it was safe, well-tolerated, and simple to use in treating envenoming from different kinds of venomous snakes.

Snake envenoming, the process of a venomous snake injecting venom into a person or animal, which can lead to a range of potentially life-threatening conditions, is a significant public health concern, especially in rural settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

Approximately 5 million snake bites, 1.8 million snake envenomings, and 90,000 deaths occur due to snake bites each year globally.

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A herpetologist at the Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Royjan Taylor, holds a freshly caught puff-adder prior to milk its venom on February 13, 2019

A herpetologist at the Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Royjan Taylor, holds a freshly caught puff-adder prior to milk its venom on February 13, 2019 Daily Nation

In Kenya, approximately 20,000 people are bitten by snakes annually, with about 4,000 fatalities and 7,000 experiencing paralysis or other health complications. 

Snake envenoming often causes life-threatening effects, including coagulopathy, neuromuscular paralysis, acute kidney injury, and local tissue necrosis.

Currently, the available antivenom treatments are costly, cause severe side effects, and must be administered intravenously—through the veins—in hospital settings, barriers that limit immediate life-saving intervention.

According to the study's lead author and clinical researcher at LSTM, Michael Abouyannis, unithiol, on the other hand, has proved to be safer, cheaper, and can easily be taken as a pill.

"Unithiol is already approved for treating heavy metal poisoning but was identified for study in the treatment of snakebite envenoming due to its ability to neutralise snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs)," it stated.

"This phase 1 trial, which wouldn't have been possible without the support of Professor Hamaluba and the team at KEMRI-Wellcome in Kilifi, has shown that unithiol is safe even at the high doses that we believe will be needed to treat snakebite, so we could be on the cusp of bringing snakebite treatment into the 21st century and vastly improving patient outcomes," said Abouyannis.

According to the Phase 1 trial of the drug, which assessed different doses in oral and intravenous forms, the drug showed no serious side effects, even at the maximum dose.

The researchers further revealed that once administered, the drug was rapidly absorbed into the blood and present at levels expected to restrain snake venom toxins.

"Preclinical research by LSTM scientists previously demonstrated that unithiol could prevent the worst effects of venom and potentially save lives," LSTM said.

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Following the results of the Phase 1 trial, the team has secured funding to advance unithiol to Phase 2 clinical trials, where the drug will undergo further tests to measure its efficacy level.

If successful, unithiol could be deployed in rural clinics and first-aid settings, buying snakebite victims valuable time to get to a hospital and reducing the severity of envenoming.