Man's 20-Year Snakebite Experiment Leads to Groundbreaking Antivenom

Snake bites kill between 80,000 and 100,000 people every year. Another 300,000 survivors are left with permanent disabilities. Now, a new antivenom treatment is being developed—thanks to a man who has spent nearly two decades letting venomous snakes bite him on purpose. Tim Friede has built up an extraordinary resistance to snake venom. Over 20 years, he has exposed himself to bites from some of the deadliest species, including black mambas, king cobras and tiger snakes. His method involves milking venom from the snakes, injecting small doses into his own body, and then testing his immunity by allowing controlled bites.

Scientists at Centivax used Friede's antibodies to create a new antivenom. The treatment provides full protection against 13 snake species and partial defence against six more. The team is now working on extending this to viper bites, which cause many of the world's snakebite deaths. The next phase of testing will take place in Australia. Researchers will treat dogs suffering from snakebite injuries to assess the drug's effectiveness. If successful, the antivenom could reduce the global toll of snakebites, which also fuels widespread fear—around one-third of adults suffer from ophidiophobia, the extreme fear of snakes.

Friede's unusual immunity has given scientists a way to improve antivenom treatments. The new drug, if proven effective in trials, may save thousands of lives each year. It could also reduce the long-term disabilities caused by venomous snakebites worldwide.