A Methodical, If Dangerous, Process<\/p>\n
Friede\u2019s approach was anything but reckless in its structure, even if the risks were enormous. He would first milk venomous snakes to extract their venom, then inject it into his own body, gradually increasing the dosage over time. The goal was to give his immune system the opportunity to develop antitoxin antibodies strong enough to neutralize future bites. Without that slow buildup, as he acknowledged, he would have died many times over.<\/p>\n
![\"Tim](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tim-friede-1200x727.jpg\")
Tim Friede \u2013 \u00a9 Centivax<\/p>\n
Once he judged himself sufficiently immune, Friede moved to direct snake bites, a live test of whether his body had truly adapted. It did not always go as planned. On one occasion, simultaneous bites from an Egyptian cobra and a monocled cobra sent him to the hospital, where he remained in a coma for four days. Reflecting on these moments, Friede was blunt in his assessment, telling Science News<\/a>: \u201cIt always burns and it\u2019s always, always painful. Was it a mistake? Yes. Was it stupid? Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Over twenty years, he built up immunity to some of the world\u2019s most lethal species, including black mambas, king cobras, and tiger snakes.<\/p>\n A Once-in-a-Lifetime Immune History<\/p>\n The scientific opportunity Friede represented did not go unnoticed. Jacob Glanville, lead author of the resulting study and CEO of Centivax, explained the significance of Friede\u2019s biology in a news release. \u201cWhat was exciting about the donor was his once-in-a-lifetime unique immune history,\u201d Glanville said. \u201cNot only did he potentially create these broadly neutralizing antibodies, in this case, it could give rise to a broad-spectrum or universal antivenom.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the study, published in 2025 in the journal Cell<\/a>, Centivax developed an antivenom cocktail by isolating two of Friede\u2019s antibodies, identified as LNX-D09 and SNX-B03, and combining them with varespladib, a toxin-blocking drug. When tested on mice, the cocktail provided complete protection against 13 snake species<\/a> and partial protection against six more. The results represented a significant step toward what scientists had long considered a difficult goal: a single antivenom formulation capable of working across a wide range of venomous species, rather than requiring a separate treatment for each one.<\/p>\n What Comes Next<\/p>\n The research is now moving into the next phase of testing. As reported by Popular Mechanics<\/a>, the Centivax team plans to begin clinical trials in Australia, working with dogs brought in for snake bite injuries in real-world settings. The researchers also have their sights set on expanding the treatment to cover vipers, a separate and equally dangerous family of venomous snakes not yet addressed by the current formulation.<\/p>\n![\"Graphical](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/graphical-abstract-2-1200x727.jpg\")
Graphical abstract \u2013 \u00a9 Glanville et al. \/ Cell<\/p>\n