A Rapid and Substantial Increase in Supplies of an Effective, Safe and Affordable Antivenom to sub-Saharan Africa

The project will be directed by MicroPharm and will include contributions by scientists at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. It is in direct response to the WHO's stated aim of reducing the mortality and morbidity of snake envenoming.

The aim of the project is to re-establish supplies of Fav-Afrique in its current format as an equine F(ab')2 based antivenom suitable for the treatment of Category 1 venomous African snakes. Sanofi-Pasteur will continue to supply large pools of plasma from horses immunised with venoms from Echis, Bitis, Naja or Dendroaspis species respectively. The manufacturing procedures will be modernised and simplified to increase yield and decrease cost. Initial supplies will be available for clinical use in Africa by 2023.