Scientists have sunk their fangs into a panacea for snake bites. The new antivenom can counteract the bite of several deadly species of snake with fewer side effects and easier storage. If made publicly available, it could save thousands of lives each year.

Not just snake oil

Scientists may have developed a snake bite antivenom that can be used for 17 different species of snakes, according to a study published in the journal Nature . The antivenom specifically targets species of snakes in the Elapidae family. There are approximately 360 species of elapids worldwide, and they are “among the deadliest because their venoms contain potent neurotoxins that act rapidly to induce paralysis and respiratory failure,” Anne Ljungars, a biological engineer at the Technical University of Denmark

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