From what I've found, it's anti-Bothrops/Lachesis. I don't know the specifics, but it was in converstations with Dean Ripa, that I recall him saying it wasn't very effective(or as effective as ICP). ICP has been very effective in his bites, and I know a case where someone in NY state was bitten maybe 6-7 yrs ago(again Dean told me) whom was treated with Wyeth with success.



In gathering info for my IND application to import ICP serum, I only researched clininal accounts for L. stenophrys bites treated with ICP antivenom, so there's probably some clinical accounts out there for muta bites.



This gets into the whole Lachesis toxicity question as well, so there is probably a reason....it could be that L. muta does not produce the same systemic reaction as L. stenophrys, and thus has a more myo-hemotoxic venom(e.g., similar to Bothrops asper) and if you tried to treat stenophrys bite with it....maybe it would appear to be ineffective??? I don't know..just trying to rationalize why it would appear ineffective.



The other thing, ICP costs $25/vial vs what $700-1000 for CROFAB? Also, there was the CROFAB shortage, so it doesn't seem logical that a foreign country would try to obtain it(unless it is vastly superior) but I don't know the cost of Butantan serum either.

[ Show Entire Thread ]