Heparin: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 45-54 lakh people are bitten by snakes every year around the world, out of which about 1.38 lakh people die due to complications. A common blood-thinning drug could be a potential cheap solution for treating snakebites. Greg Neely, an author associated with the University of Sydney, Australia, said that a drug called heparin “can greatly reduce the damage caused by cobra bites and it can also slow down the spread of venom, which can improve the survival rate.” According to the researchers, current anti-snake venom treatment does not effectively solve the inactivation of tissues and cells at the site of snakebite, which sometimes results in amputation. Using CRISPR technology to modify human genes, the team identified various ways in which cobra venom can be prevented.

Researchers used blood thinners including heparin and found that they were able to prevent tissue and cell damage caused by cobra bites after testing on human cells and mice. The study report has been published in the journal ‘Science Translational Medicine’.

Lead author Tian Du of the University of Sydney said, “After successful human trials, (heparin drug) can be introduced relatively quickly to create an inexpensive, safe and effective drug for the treatment of cobra bites.”