Scripps Research scientists have developed an antibody that can block the effects of lethal toxins in the venoms of a wide variety of snakes found throughout Africa, Asia and Australia.

More than 100,000 people a year, mostly in Asia and Africa, die from snakebite envenoming—rendering it more deadly than most neglected tropical diseases. Current antivenoms are produced by immunizing animals with snake venom, and each generally only works against a single snake species.