Why is there no Coral snake antivenom

[Benjamin1975]

I understand why they stopped making it,it was not profitable and Coral snakes are hard to find and hard to deal with.So few people get bit by them that a molyvalent antivenom does not make money.

But why don't they mix the Coral snake into the cocktail for america's polyvalent antivenoms like crofab and anavip.They will make so much money on the pit viper bites that the minor loss on Coral snake milking will be easily absorbed.There is plenty of precident for mixing viper and elapid venoms in horses and such,most of the worlds other antivenoms mix viper and elapids together and work just fine.

the problem with antivenom is more the availibility of good antivenom not the quality of it and so cheap low quality antivenoms flood the market.But most of the cheap antivenoms are molyvalent or just work on a couple of snakes.Fav afrique worked well untill it was taken off the market because no one could afford it in rural areas where there was a lot of snake bit.this antivenom mixed vipers and elapids and worked quite well,doctors without borders loved it.

So you can see there is no real reason why there is no Coral snake antivenom,its just stupidity

[Aaron_S]

I don't understand your question when you ended your rant with a statement.

[Benjamin1975]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I don't understand your question when you ended your rant with a statement.

was just curious if someone could shed some light on why there is no antivenom in production for the coral snake.I am not sure I would call it a rant

[Andy_G]

Originally Posted by Benjamin1975

was just curious if someone could shed some light on why there is no antivenom in production for the coral snake.I am not sure I would call it a rant

You honestly kind of answered your question before you asked it in the first statement of your original post. In regards to the rest of your post, I wonder if there is a scientific, medical, or financial reason why they have not added to other polyvalent products. Too far above my head to offer much, there.

[Benjamin1975]

Originally Posted by Andy_G

You honestly kind of answered your question before you asked it in the first statement of your original post. In regards to the rest of your post, I wonder if there is a scientific, medical, or financial reason why they have not added to other polyvalent products. Too far above my head to offer much, there.

yea thats a good answer

[Scubadiver59]

Well, if you're young enough to finish off a doctorate, now is the time to join scientific research and come up with a solution.

[Benjamin1975]

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

Well, if you're young enough to finish off a doctorate, now is the time to join scientific research and come up with a solution.

I am a bit old to finish off a doctorate,LOL good post

[Scubadiver59]

Well, I know one 50yr old that just finished his PhD. Never say never...

Originally Posted by Benjamin1975

I am a bit old to finish off a doctorate,LOL good post

[Benjamin1975]

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

Well, I know one 50yr old that just finished his PhD. Never say never...

I'M only 44 maybe I could do it

[MDT]

There are so few coral snake bites annually, that it doesn't make a lot of economic sense. CS envenomation would be considered an "orphan disease", meaning that there just aren't enough people affected to dive into it deeply (compared to, say for instance, diabetes).

CroFab and AnaVip could produce a coral snake antibody fragment antivenom (heck, they may be now??), but it will take time and money the likes of which we can only dream about.

Whether Wyeth will make more of the equine IgG coral snake antivenom, or someone else will once our supplies run out or the FDA stops granting extensions is another question.

[Benjamin1975]

Originally Posted by MDT

There are so few coral snake bites annually, that it doesn't make a lot of economic sense. CS envenomation would be considered an "orphan disease", meaning that there just aren't enough people affected to dive into it deeply (compared to, say for instance, diabetes).

CroFab and AnaVip could produce a coral snake antibody fragment antivenom (heck, they may be now??), but it will take time and money the likes of which we can only dream about.

Whether Wyeth will make more of the equine IgG coral snake antivenom, or someone else will once our supplies run out or the FDA stops granting extensions is another question.

Pfizer bought out Wyeth and there snakes and labratories but if Pfizer thought making another antivenom was profitable they likely would have done it already.

You may be right,crofab or anavip adding coral snake to to there polyvalent serum may be just to expensive in relation to its need.Which is very little,they may not want to do something that will make there product even more expensive.I personally dont see how adding one more snake would kill them but I could wrong and you may be right.

[MDT]

Originally Posted by Benjamin1975

I personally dont see how adding one more snake would kill them but I could wrong and you may be right.

R&D on an elapid venom that they are not set up for or has not been tested/approved would be a financial nightmare.

[Benjamin1975]

Originally Posted by MDT

R&D on an elapid venom that they are not set up for or has not been tested/approved would be a financial nightmare.

you would not want to make antivenom any more expensive than it already is,good point.hopefully the FDA in march reapproved the old batch for another year.

Its a microcosm of a world problem of quality antivenom being to expensive.venom does not kill people,poverty does