The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the first WHO public-benefit Target Product Profiles (TPPs) for animal plasma-derived antivenoms that are intended to be used for treatment of snakebite envenoming in South Asia, the region of the world that harbours arguably the greatest burden of morbidity and mortality from snakebites.
Four TPPs have been described to give manufacturers guidance on the design characteristics and formulation of products. These include new minimal and optimal specifications for the currently available antivenoms that target the «Big Four» species (Bungarus caeruleus, Daboia russelii, Echis carinatus, and Naja naja), as well as three potential new antivenom types:
– products that target species with predominantly neurotoxic effects.
– products that target species where the effects are largely haemorrhagic or procoagulant.
– products for treatment of envenoming by a single species or genus of snake.
These TPPs are intended to provide guidance to manufacturers, regulators, procurement agencies, clinicians, and researchers, to improve the design, formulation, safety, efficacy and species coverage of antivenoms in the South Asian region, and by doing so, improve the treatment of snakebite envenoming and the outcomes for snakebite victims.
See more here: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240091399