Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths and disabilities each year. India alone reports nearly 50,000 deaths annually, the most snakebite deaths in the world.
Each snake species produces a distinct cocktail of toxins that attack nerves, blood or tissues, making it difficult to develop a unified treatment. Current animal-derived antivenoms also have drawbacks, such as batch-to-batch variability, side effects and limited species coverage. Their production is costly and outdated, relying on venom milking and animal immunization, with low yields of active antibodies.