Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
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Objective of the EchiTAb Study Group (UK) Ltd:
The development of antivenom-production facilities,expertise and resources in Nigeria to improve the treatment of snake bite.
History:
The mortality and morbidity of snake bite in savanna regions of West Africa has always been high and has significant medical, social and economic effects on the agricultural communities at greatest risk. Dr Nasidi of the Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria has been the prime force behind ensuring the provision of government funds to resolve the problem. He initiated a collaboration in 1991 between Professors Theakston (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine), Langdon (St Bartholomews Hospital , London and Therapeutic Antibodies Ltd [now Protherics Ltd]) and Warrel (University of Oxford). This collaboration, the EchiTAb Study Group, resulted in the production and testing of an ovine Echis ocellatus monospecific antivenom.
Hundreds of snakes were sent from the Benue valley region in Nigeria to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine where large amounts of venom was extracted and lyophilised. Welsh sheep were immunised with venom and the sera purified by Therapeutic Antibodies Ltd. Over the years this collaboration has produced Fab (papain digested) and F(ab/)2 (pepsin digested) antivenoms for use in clinical trials in Nigeria by physicians associated with the EchiTAb Study Group. In the late 1990s this group also devised a mobile (metal storage container) antivenom production unit that will be shipped for use in Nigeria.
Current Activities:
The formation of the EchiTAb Study Group (UK) Ltd company in 2005 reflects the recent expansion of the program including the production of a new polyspecific IgG (caprylic acid purified) and F(ab/)2 antivenoms raised from horses immunised with venoms from E. ocellatus, B. arietans and N. nigricollis by the Instituto Clodomiro Picado, San Jose, Costa Rica and VacSera, Cairo, Egypt and an E. ocellatus monospecific IgG antivenom from MicroPharm, London, UK. Following satisfactory performance in pre-clinical assessment here in Liverpool, the clinical efficacy of these antivenoms is being assessed in Kaltungo, Nigeria. The activities of this group are playing a very important role in improving the clinical outcome of envenomed victims in Nigeria.