Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?

Snakebite envenoming is a major public health burden in tropical parts of the developing world. In sub-Saharan Africa, neglect has led to a scarcity of antivenoms threatening the lives and limbs of snakebite victims. Technological advances within antivenom are warranted, but should be evaluated not...

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Main Authors: Andreas H Laustsen, Kristoffer H Johansen, Mikael Engmark, Mikael R Andersen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2017-02-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005361&type=printable
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author Andreas H Laustsen
Kristoffer H Johansen
Mikael Engmark
Mikael R Andersen
author_facet Andreas H Laustsen
Kristoffer H Johansen
Mikael Engmark
Mikael R Andersen
author_sort Andreas H Laustsen
collection DOAJ
description Snakebite envenoming is a major public health burden in tropical parts of the developing world. In sub-Saharan Africa, neglect has led to a scarcity of antivenoms threatening the lives and limbs of snakebite victims. Technological advances within antivenom are warranted, but should be evaluated not only on their possible therapeutic impact, but also on their cost-competitiveness. Recombinant antivenoms based on oligoclonal mixtures of human IgG antibodies produced by CHO cell cultivation may be the key to obtaining better snakebite envenoming therapies. Based on industry data, the cost of treatment for a snakebite envenoming with a recombinant antivenom is estimated to be in the range USD 60-250 for the Final Drug Product. One of the effective antivenoms (SAIMR Snake Polyvalent Antivenom from the South African Vaccine Producers) currently on the market has been reported to have a wholesale price of USD 640 per treatment for an average snakebite. Recombinant antivenoms may therefore in the future be a cost-competitive alternative to existing serum-based antivenoms.
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series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-dd237e67f47b4d76a9b98ac61d9010cc2025-08-20T03:12:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352017-02-01112e000536110.1371/journal.pntd.0005361Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?Andreas H LaustsenKristoffer H JohansenMikael EngmarkMikael R AndersenSnakebite envenoming is a major public health burden in tropical parts of the developing world. In sub-Saharan Africa, neglect has led to a scarcity of antivenoms threatening the lives and limbs of snakebite victims. Technological advances within antivenom are warranted, but should be evaluated not only on their possible therapeutic impact, but also on their cost-competitiveness. Recombinant antivenoms based on oligoclonal mixtures of human IgG antibodies produced by CHO cell cultivation may be the key to obtaining better snakebite envenoming therapies. Based on industry data, the cost of treatment for a snakebite envenoming with a recombinant antivenom is estimated to be in the range USD 60-250 for the Final Drug Product. One of the effective antivenoms (SAIMR Snake Polyvalent Antivenom from the South African Vaccine Producers) currently on the market has been reported to have a wholesale price of USD 640 per treatment for an average snakebite. Recombinant antivenoms may therefore in the future be a cost-competitive alternative to existing serum-based antivenoms.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005361&type=printable
spellingShingle Andreas H Laustsen
Kristoffer H Johansen
Mikael Engmark
Mikael R Andersen
Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?
title_full Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?
title_fullStr Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?
title_full_unstemmed Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?
title_short Recombinant snakebite antivenoms: A cost-competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease?
title_sort recombinant snakebite antivenoms a cost competitive solution to a neglected tropical disease
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0005361&type=printable
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