An American amateur scientist claims to be immune to the venom of highly toxic snake species after conducting experiments where he was bitten by venomous snakes over 160 times.
According to the Independent, Tim Friede is from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA. The 37-year-old man is obsessed with the fact that over 10,000 people worldwide die each year from snake bites, leading him to determine to let venomous snakes bite him in order to discover a antivenom.
Over the past 16 years, Friede has allowed various venomous snakes to bite him more than 160 times and claims he will not stop searching for a vaccine to prevent snake venom toxicity, even if it endangers his life.
On January 20, Barcroft Media released a video showing Friede allowing two highly venomous species, the black mamba and the taipan, to bite his arm. The black mamba is the longest and fastest snake in Africa, capable of killing an adult in just 20 minutes if not treated promptly. It is also recognized as the most dangerous venomous snake in Africa. Indigenous people refer to the bite of this snake as ‘the kiss of death’ due to its lethality. However, Tim Friede allowed the venomous snake to bite both his finger and wrist without any harm. He stated that he felt great despite experiencing a “sharp pain inside his body.”
Tim Friede allowing a snake to bite his arm. (Image from video).
In addition to the two venomous snakes mentioned, Friede also keeps two other deadly species at home: rattlesnakes and cobras. In 2011, Friede fell into a coma and nearly died after being bitten twice by a cobra.
“Self-administering venom by allowing snakes to bite is extremely dangerous for cases like Friede’s,” said Dr. Rachel Currier, who works at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dr. Currier noted that to find an antivenom, one must go through a research process and have a thorough understanding of the different toxic components found in snake venom.
In addition to the 10,000 fatalities each year from venomous snake bites, around 40,000 survivors are left with permanent disabilities.
Friede’s personal life has been affected during his research for an antivenom. His wife decided to divorce him in 2015 after nearly 20 years together due to her inability to tolerate his “interest in snake venom research.”
He mentioned that despite experiencing a “sharp pain inside his body” after being bitten by a black mamba, he felt incredible. He will continue with his passion and ideals, even though family members have urged him to stop (his wife divorced him due to this obsession).
He stated: “I hope to help scientists discover a vaccine to prevent the 125,000 deaths from venomous snake bites each year. Most of the victims are poor people in Asia and Africa.”
The videos of Friede allowing venomous snakes to bite him, shared on social media, have caught the attention of American immunologist Jacob Glanville, the brain behind Centivax. Through his work with Centivax, Glanville hopes to help people around the world escape the impacts of pandemics. His top priority is snake venom. Together with Friede, Glanville is striving to develop a universal antivenom.
Glanville and Friede aim to revolutionize by using Friede’s antibodies, targeting the binding domains with proteins that the most dangerous snakes possess. One of Friede’s antibodies, called Centi-LNX-D9, is particularly noteworthy. In experiments with mice, Centi-LNX-D9 has been shown to neutralize the venom of various species including the carpet viper, black mamba, yellow-bellied sea snake, Egyptian cobra, Cape cobra, Indian cobra, and king cobra.
Glanville shared that he will conduct trials of the universal antivenom compound on humans within the next two years and aims to bring the product to market after three years. This compound could be produced in an injectable form that can be stored at room temperature in field medical facilities.
In addition to benefiting rural communities, the universal antivenom compound that Glanville is developing will also aid military personnel in areas where dangerous venomous snakes thrive. This could motivate pharmaceutical companies to produce the product on a large scale, helping to reduce costs and make it accessible to those who need it most at an affordable price.
