A new medicine for snakebite poisoning
Official title: Development of Intravenous Varespladib, a Phospholipase A2 Inhibitor, for the Treatment of Snakebite Envenoming
Funded at Ophirex, INC. · NIH-11193476 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is creating an intravenous medicine called varespladib to help people who have been bitten by venomous snakes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ophirex, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Corte Madera, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,109,888 |
| NIH project number | 5R01FD007839-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11193476 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is ultimately for individuals who have suffered a venomous snakebite and are experiencing its toxic effects.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not been bitten by a venomous snake or whose symptoms are not related to sPLA2 toxins may not receive benefit.
What this research studies
Snake venom contains harmful proteins called sPLA2 that cause severe damage like paralysis, bleeding problems, and organ injury. Current treatments, called antivenoms, don't always work well against these specific proteins. This research aims to develop a new medicine, varespladib, which directly blocks these sPLA2 proteins. Early studies in animals show that varespladib can protect against lethal snakebites, even when antivenom is no longer effective, and it may work even better when combined with antivenom.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this new medicine could significantly reduce the severe health problems and deaths caused by snakebite poisoning worldwide.
How similar studies have gone: Experimental studies in animals have shown significant improvements with sPLA2 inhibition, and varespladib has rescued mice and pigs from lethal envenoming.
Where this research is happening
-
Ophirex, INC.
Corte Madera, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Platts-Mills, Tim — Ophirex, INC.
- Study coordinator: Platts-Mills, Tim
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Developing a treatment for snakebite envenoming using varespladib.
This study is testing a new treatment called varespladib to see if it can help people who have been bitten by venomous snakes by reducing the harmful effects of the snake venom, especially when regular antivenoms don't work well.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.