Gabriela Solano, Sinead Cunningham, Rebecca J Edge, Gina Duran, Adriana Sanchez, Mauren Villalta, Rachel H Clare, Mark C Wilkinson, Amy E Marriott, Camille Abada, Stefanie K Menzies, Molly Keen, David G Lalloo, Ymkje Stienstra, Michael Abouyannis, Nicholas R Casewell, Guillermo León, Stuart Ainsworth
INTRODUCTION: Antivenom is a lifesaving medicine for treating snakebite envenoming, yet there has been a crisis in antivenom supply for many decades. Despite this, substantial quantities of antivenom stocks expire before use. This study has investigated whether expired antivenoms retain preclinical quality and efficacy, with the rationale that they could be used in emergency situations when in-date antivenom is unavailable. METHODS: Using WHO guidelines and industry test requirements, we examined the in vitro stability and murine in vivo efficacy of eight batches of the sub-Saharan African antivenom, South African Institute for Medical Research polyvalent, that had expired at various times over a period of 30 years...
March 13, 2024: BMJ Global Health