Nanobody Antivenom Neutralizes 17 of 18 Elapids

A team led by Andreas Laustsen at the Technical University of Denmark developed a recombinant broad‑spectrum antivenom made from eight nanobodies isolated by phage display after immunizing one alpaca and one llama with venoms from 18 medically important African elapid snakes. In mice the cocktail neutralized venoms from 17 of the 18 tested species (including cobras, mambas and rinkhals), markedly reduced venom‑induced skin necrosis, and the one nonneutralized species was the green/eastern mamba. The nanobodies can be freeze‑dried for use in remote settings, may be scalable and potentially more affordable than century‑old horse‑derived, species‑specific antivenoms, and pose a lower risk of immune reactions. Researchers emphasize these are preclinical mouse results and that human trials, regulatory review and wide production will likely take years. Separately, field and laboratory studies of royal ground snakes in the Colombian Amazon found some individuals wipe poisonous dart frogs on the ground and may detoxify toxins via liver enzymes, a natural defense mechanism that could inform future antivenom development.