Man's Blood May Unlock Universal Antivenom After 856 Snake Bites

Tim Friede is no ordinary snake lover. In the last 18 years, the self-trained venom expert has injected himself with snake venom over 850 times. His daredevil approach might sound crazy, but it has resulted in something remarkable: a breakthrough in worldwide snake control.

Surviving the Unthinkable

Friede's adventure started in his childhood when he started keeping pet snakes. Soon, he was milking venom from his pets, diluting it, and injecting himself with it, gradually developing immunity. But the turning point came when he was bitten by two cobras within a span of an hour. The venom almost killed him.

"I basically flat-lined and died. It wasn't fun. I had enough immunity for one bite, but not for two. I completely screwed up.", said Tim Friede.

Rather than take it as a sign of quitting, though, Fried took it as validation: His self-immunization experiment could indeed work.

Turning pain into progress

Pursuing the obvious risk, Fried doubled down. Over time, he put himself in contact with the venom of the deadliest snakes on the planet: the Egyptian cobra, black mamba, coastal taipan, and Mojave rattlesnake. He filmed the whole process, fang bites included, on YouTube, both shocking and fascinating the scientific community.

His body reacted by creating antibodies powerful enough to fight off the most lethal venom. These "super antibodies" were noticed by Jacob Glanville, an immunologist and CEO of the biotech company Centivax.

Designing a universal antivenom

Employing Friede's blood samples, Glanville's team extracted two antibodies, LNX-D09 and SNX-B03. When tested in labs, the components gave protection from the venom of 19 species of snakes that the World Health Organization places among the deadliest in the world.

LNX-D09 was effective alone against six species. In combination with antivenom booster varespladib, it offered protection against three more. SNX-B03 gave partial protection against all the species tested, and full protection against most.

A global solution in sight

Classic antivenoms are species-specific and are usually produced with animal antibodies, which induce allergic responses in humans. But Frede's human-derived antibodies are unique, they can provide broader, safer protection.

This new antivenom is being researched with the ultimate aim of producing a universal antidote for snakebites, something that can save thousands of lives worldwide, particularly in rural or resource-constrained regions.

Now the target is elapid snakes (cobras and mambas), but researchers are already developing a parallel solution for vipers (rattlesnakes and vipers).

What's next?

The journey to human use still includes strict clinical testing. Meanwhile, the researchers intend to start field trials by treating snakebite dogs in Australian veterinary clinics.

The promise? A future where anyone, anywhere on earth, can access life-saving treatment for any snakebite, thanks to the risky devotion of one man.

Reference:

1. Cockerill, J. (2025, May 2). After 856 “snake bites”, man’s blood could unlock universal antivenom. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/after-856-snake-bites-mans-blood-could-unlock-universal-antivenom

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)