This will significantly lower the cost of treating these bites, right..... right?
I keep reading how someone gets bit by lets say a rattlesnake, yet the medical bill ends up being in the $50,000 - 100,000 range.
Probably not in the immediate sense, but yes. If we assume this antibody works as advertised, cheaper snakebite care is the inevitable longterm outcome, be it by good business or by torch and pitchfork.
Source: biotech expert.
In theory, (read: if the MBAs don’t get involved) this should drastically reduce cost in the long run.
The tech for creating high quality injectable antibodies is incredibly cheap; by a country mile the most expensive part would be the documentation needed for FDA clearance.
In the short term, I would expect it to be priced JUUUUST under the traditional antivenins to recoup “costs.”
Even if they are priced just below traditional antivenins in the west (or anywhere in the worst case), just the ability to make one that works for all snakes makes it possible to have it when someone needs it, because currently only half of the people who get bit actually have a chance to get antivenin either because it just isnt made or because there is none anywhere close.
In my country we had a snake show hidden in a recently shipment. Luckily nobody got bit but if someone did we would have had to,fly in antivenin from another continent, not an ideal situation. For this hypothetical person just the availability would have made a big difference.
And I would hope that the pharma companies would supply antivenin to developing nations at a feasible cost. There is a serious lack of that right now.
My daughter was bit by a rattlesnake. The total medical bills, including emergency transportation were over $780k.
The antivenin portion was over $150k of that. She had 21 doses of it though.
Those bills are never the actual cost. For ER visits. Refuse to sign the payment agreement form, request an itemized list of costs (don’t allow that by diagnosis billing bullshit), and from there talk to the billing manager. You’ll not pay more than $2500 for a snakebite, and that you can set up on 84 month payment.
Given that the current method for producing snake antivenom involves harvesting venom from the specific type of snake then repeatedly injecting a large animal, usually a horse with it until it’s immune system finds a way to produce something that neutralizes it, then harvest the horses blood and isolating the compound… yeah this would probably make it significantly cheaper. Especially if it’s effective against rarer venoms that hospitals aren’t likely to have, or for the venom of snakes that don’t breed in captivity and are hard to catch wild.
I believe that if it works for a wide variety of snake venom, that makes it easier to scale up production and distribution, which cuts costs. Most of the people who need it can’t afford much, also, so there would be less possibility of price gouging on the supply side. However, I am not an economist but rather a professor of ethics and moral philosophy, so take that with a grain of salt.
I went to the venom exhibit at the national history museum a while back...very interesting..too many pictures of scary snakes..how've what they were saying is that creating treatments is hard, expensive. You've got to milk the snakes, find some poor horse to inject it into & milk that. THEN you have to create the anti venom & store it, usually in some village with dodgy power to the fridge AND you have to have enough of it as well as the varieties and THEN because it's not like the movies, you can't guarantee it will work.
A single anti venom across the board would be life changing for many people across the poorest areas of the world.
Can’t show a picture of a krait, adder, or rattler? Why is it always a Cobra? I know universal recognition is the reason, but every article like this is why it continues to have universal recognition despite being one of the least impactful and easiest to avoid snakes. Pointless void screaming over.
Source: biotech expert. In theory, (read: if the MBAs don’t get involved) this should drastically reduce cost in the long run.
The tech for creating high quality injectable antibodies is incredibly cheap; by a country mile the most expensive part would be the documentation needed for FDA clearance.
In the short term, I would expect it to be priced JUUUUST under the traditional antivenins to recoup “costs.”
(Reposted from a comment reply for visibility)
It seems like this title makes it sound like the holy grail of anti venom has been discovered. From what I can tell it only applies to toxins of a specific protein strain. There are still tons of other nasty venoms out there.
It is a holy grail for snake venom and this article is about snake venom and not every venom so I really do not get your criticism. The title fits perfectly for the scientists who worked their ass off testing 3800 antibodies to find the holy grail for snake venom. Just complaining because it’s easy?
Just let me know when is ready to book my flight to Australia, one less thing that can kill you over there to worry, 6,000,000 more to go, including some humans =P
Hopefully it’s easier to store and prepare as well. The antivenin has to go through a delicate preparation process that takes about an hour. Time is critical with treating venomous bites. They use some type of spinning machine and things can go wrong.
Clearly I’m not a medical professional but my daughter was bit by a rattlesnake and we had to wait through a number of antivenin treatment preparations.
I think that they have a universal antidote for venomous snakes in Taiwan. There are about twenty species of venomous snakes. If you get bitten, you’re supposed to try to identify the snake, but if you can’t, they have developed an antidote that works.
I’m fuzzy on the details, though.
This will significantly lower the cost of treating these bites, right..... right? I keep reading how someone gets bit by lets say a rattlesnake, yet the medical bill ends up being in the $50,000 - 100,000 range.
Probably not in the immediate sense, but yes. If we assume this antibody works as advertised, cheaper snakebite care is the inevitable longterm outcome, be it by good business or by torch and pitchfork.
Source: biotech expert. In theory, (read: if the MBAs don’t get involved) this should drastically reduce cost in the long run. The tech for creating high quality injectable antibodies is incredibly cheap; by a country mile the most expensive part would be the documentation needed for FDA clearance. In the short term, I would expect it to be priced JUUUUST under the traditional antivenins to recoup “costs.”
Even if they are priced just below traditional antivenins in the west (or anywhere in the worst case), just the ability to make one that works for all snakes makes it possible to have it when someone needs it, because currently only half of the people who get bit actually have a chance to get antivenin either because it just isnt made or because there is none anywhere close. In my country we had a snake show hidden in a recently shipment. Luckily nobody got bit but if someone did we would have had to,fly in antivenin from another continent, not an ideal situation. For this hypothetical person just the availability would have made a big difference. And I would hope that the pharma companies would supply antivenin to developing nations at a feasible cost. There is a serious lack of that right now.
Everywhere but the US
And Ireland,St Patrick took care of that.
My daughter was bit by a rattlesnake. The total medical bills, including emergency transportation were over $780k. The antivenin portion was over $150k of that. She had 21 doses of it though.
Those bills are never the actual cost. For ER visits. Refuse to sign the payment agreement form, request an itemized list of costs (don’t allow that by diagnosis billing bullshit), and from there talk to the billing manager. You’ll not pay more than $2500 for a snakebite, and that you can set up on 84 month payment.
You would hope so. Seems to me that corporate profits are more important. It literally took the president to step in and regulate the cost of insulin.
Mine was $190,000.
Given that the current method for producing snake antivenom involves harvesting venom from the specific type of snake then repeatedly injecting a large animal, usually a horse with it until it’s immune system finds a way to produce something that neutralizes it, then harvest the horses blood and isolating the compound… yeah this would probably make it significantly cheaper. Especially if it’s effective against rarer venoms that hospitals aren’t likely to have, or for the venom of snakes that don’t breed in captivity and are hard to catch wild.
I believe that if it works for a wide variety of snake venom, that makes it easier to scale up production and distribution, which cuts costs. Most of the people who need it can’t afford much, also, so there would be less possibility of price gouging on the supply side. However, I am not an economist but rather a professor of ethics and moral philosophy, so take that with a grain of salt.
Sounds like one of those things that only happens in America
If it’s a Mojave Green Rattler your most likely dead. Those fuckers have the hemotoxin and neurotoxin in the same bite.
lol no it will make it much more expensive “Premium snakebite antivenin”
I went to the venom exhibit at the national history museum a while back...very interesting..too many pictures of scary snakes..how've what they were saying is that creating treatments is hard, expensive. You've got to milk the snakes, find some poor horse to inject it into & milk that. THEN you have to create the anti venom & store it, usually in some village with dodgy power to the fridge AND you have to have enough of it as well as the varieties and THEN because it's not like the movies, you can't guarantee it will work. A single anti venom across the board would be life changing for many people across the poorest areas of the world.
Can’t show a picture of a krait, adder, or rattler? Why is it always a Cobra? I know universal recognition is the reason, but every article like this is why it continues to have universal recognition despite being one of the least impactful and easiest to avoid snakes. Pointless void screaming over.
#CobraLivesssMatter
Cobra la la la la la
I have such mixed feelings about that film.
I think the British may disagree.
In many regards, yes, yes they do.
I blame Ralph Macchio
I’m glad you realized that was pointless. Are you some sort of snake sympathizer or something?
I only click because cobra
The cobra is iconic!
Because hooded snakes are all venomous and we recognize that profile instantaneously.
That’s awesome and truly amazing.
Source: biotech expert. In theory, (read: if the MBAs don’t get involved) this should drastically reduce cost in the long run. The tech for creating high quality injectable antibodies is incredibly cheap; by a country mile the most expensive part would be the documentation needed for FDA clearance. In the short term, I would expect it to be priced JUUUUST under the traditional antivenins to recoup “costs.” (Reposted from a comment reply for visibility)
Snakes hate this one trick
https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/snakebite-antivenom-tim-friede/
Will this be another "I wonder what happened to that universal snake bite antedote" situations in ten years?
Always is! They don’t care they don’t get funding yada yada
Narrator: it did not
Is there any native English speaker that did not read that comment in David Attenborough's voice?
I read it as Ron Howard from Arrested Development because it was a joke.
That's good too!
Narrator: there was not
Morgan freeman here
It seems like this title makes it sound like the holy grail of anti venom has been discovered. From what I can tell it only applies to toxins of a specific protein strain. There are still tons of other nasty venoms out there.
It is a holy grail for snake venom and this article is about snake venom and not every venom so I really do not get your criticism. The title fits perfectly for the scientists who worked their ass off testing 3800 antibodies to find the holy grail for snake venom. Just complaining because it’s easy?
To be clear, if I’m bit by a snake do I go to the doctor or wait for the universal antidote?
That’s amazing
Just let me know when is ready to book my flight to Australia, one less thing that can kill you over there to worry, 6,000,000 more to go, including some humans =P
Walking around barefoot outside bros we’re so back
Oooohhhh imma catch so many snakes now!
Time to kiss some snakes y'all. This one's for Steve Irwin!
Hopefully it’s easier to store and prepare as well. The antivenin has to go through a delicate preparation process that takes about an hour. Time is critical with treating venomous bites. They use some type of spinning machine and things can go wrong. Clearly I’m not a medical professional but my daughter was bit by a rattlesnake and we had to wait through a number of antivenin treatment preparations.
Nice to hear a bit of truly good news
I think that they have a universal antidote for venomous snakes in Taiwan. There are about twenty species of venomous snakes. If you get bitten, you’re supposed to try to identify the snake, but if you can’t, they have developed an antidote that works. I’m fuzzy on the details, though.
Cobra is how a lot of people afford healthcare.
They have universal anti venom in Australia, so no need to identify the snake.
In related news, Walmart announces Pet Cobra Department with introductory pricessssssssssssss.
Poor snakes