“Cobra bites are usually treated using antivenom administered through an intravenous drip, meaning the drug reaches the bloodstream rather than the tissue. Antivenom treatments are therefore ineffective in treating necrosis, the irreversible death of body tissue, which can lead to amputation or a loss of limb function. Treatment is also expensive, and it can take days for patients to get to a hospital.
The lead author of the study, Tian Du from the University of Sydney, said if human trials were successful, heparin – a blood thinner that can directly reach infected tissue – could be used on-site, most likely in combination with other drugs.
Du said after successful human trials, heparin, which is a World Health Organization-listed essential medicine, could be rolled out relatively quickly to become a cheap, safe and effective drug for treating cobra bites.
While she said it was unclear at this stage how much heparin would reduce tissue damage, she was hopeful that damage will be reduced by 50% to 100%, depending on the dosage and how quickly the drug is delivered.”
From The Guardian.