Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Our facility is in the process of updating our antivenin supplies (which are now expired). What has really surprised me was how much cheaper it is to acquire antivenin overseas for many exotic species (like Bitis, naja, echis, etc.) versus the CroFab manufactured here in the U.S. It seems ironic that I have to pay 20 times as much for CroFab versus the antiserum obtained from South Africa. Is it due to a lack of competition?...red tape?....true costs? It sure would be nice to see CroFab (and I heard that Wyeth polyvalent will be available again) at reasonable prices; particularly for small facilities like our's. Nonetheless, I don't feel that the high costs of antivenin for North American species should deter anyone from having their own supply. We are in the process of seeing if it is feasible to establish an antivenin bank/network in our area...but there will be a lot of hoops to go through. Any thoughts? Rob

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
City of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation (IL)
847-615-4388 office

There is a fair bit of evidence emerging that the Mexican antivenoms work just as well on N. American snakes at a fraction of the cost.

The reason for the high cost of CroFab is due to its highly processed nature. Ironically, it turns out that this very highly processed nature actually makes it cleared by the body quicker than it can be reach the venom so the antivenom has to be given over and over ever couple hours for a couple days. Rather than requiring less antivenom, it actually requires just as many total vials at a much much higher cost per vial than the Wyeth product it replaced. Ooops.

Cheers
Bryan
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Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
Deputy Director
Australian Venom Research Unit
University of Melbourne

www.venomdoc.com

Hands down to you for even thinking about the A/V Bank thing.

Hope it works out, and it's nice to know all of you are not against private individuals keeping hots.

Good luck,
Chad

I've spoke with a few private keepers about one here in the Northeast. Like all else, it takes time, and with a dozen other things going on, it hasn't materialized....yet.

Also, there have been email conversations about forming a NE Hot herp society, to act as possibly a chapter within the SHHS (again, nothing formal, nor was it ever brought to the attention of the SHHS officers--it just made sense, since some of us in the NE belong to the SHHS).

If anyone has any thoughts......by all means, speak up. Centralized meetings could take place in a number of locations, e.g., I live in upstate NY, BUT am quite familiar with most of PA having grown up there. Field trips/meetings could take place at Bronx Zoo, Philly Zoo, S.I. Zoo, Clyde Peelings Reptiland, to name a few.......

As for where to maintain an A/V supply....well, my first guess would be Jacobi Med. Center.....a back up supply could be kept at Hershey Med. Center or Geisinger or Pittsburgh........

As for getting the serum.....I think there are several of us well familiar with the process that it would be relatively straightforward.....just doing some calling and emailing.

Those are my thoughts.

Now the article I read was not about anti venom but about prescription drugs. You can order alot of those overseas for a ton less then you can order it within the US. Of course the market has grown considerably since people dont even have to leave there homes and can save big bucks on otherwise very costly drugs. One problem though is many of the countries selling these very cheap, dont have the clinical standards the US does. Mexico and Colombia were high on the list for having poor requiremtents. Some of the facilities were litterly dirt floor with rats running loose in them. Some of the drugs being produced due to the lack of standards and qualifacations for making them were inconsistant. Pain pills within the same bottles were found to have higher and lower dosages. So Id be carefull, IMO the extra cost is worth it due to the standards. If I can find those articles Ill post them. Like I said I know its not anti venom there about but it runs along the same lines.
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Jason & Danica
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That many "third world" countries, locally made antivenoms are both considerably better and vastly cheaper than either the old but hugely expensive Wyeth dishwater or the new and even more staggeringly expensive and yet hugely disappointing CroFab. In no other country does it take 40 vials and $30,000 of antivenom to treat a snakebite...

Cheers,

Wolfgang
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