BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM
A drug developed as a treatment for snakebite is showing promise in treating acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with COVID-19. The drug, varespladib targets an the enzyme sPLA2 produced by snake venom. This is the same enzyme produced by inflamed lungs affected by COVID-19 virus.
The snakebite drug was conceived by Dr. Matthew Lewin, an emergency room doctor, to help treat snakebite. He sought an oral treatment that is affordable, easy to use, portable and will fight venom from different species of snake. His company, Ophirex, found varespladib and began testing its effects against snake venom. So far, the company has tested with positive results in mice and pigs. The drug is especially important to rural areas of Asia and Africa where snakebites are common and medical care is scarce.
Current treatment for snakebite involves the administration of multiple doses of extremely expensive antivenom. A vial of antivenom in a hospital in the U.S. can cost as much as $15,000 with a total course of treatment funning anywhere from $60,000 to $750,000.
Snake venom immediately begins destroying tissue and most victims on average take about 2 hours to get to a hospital for treatment. Varespladib can be taken in the field and, though it won’t replace antivenom treatment, it will buy the victim some time and reduce tissue damage during transport to the hospital.
Varespladib was originally developed by Eli Lilly and Shionogi, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, to treat sepsis. The drug has been shown to be safe for human use, but was never taken to market for its intended use. Dr. Lewin tested against several types of venom and found that the drug neutralized the venom of snakes on six continents – a result verified by the Yale Center for Molecular Discovery.
Human clinical trials against snake venom were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently, the company has received a grant from the U.S. Army to conduct human trials for the possible COVID-19 application. These trials are set to occur next year.
