KEYPOINTS SUMMARY
- Tim Friede self-injected with snake venom for nearly 2 decades
- Friede exposed himself to cobra, mamba, rattlesnake venom—on purpose
- Scientists now say his blood may revolutionize antivenom treatment
- New antivenom cocktail tested on mice shows 100% protection for 13 species
- Traditional antivenom methods involve horses and harsh side effects
- WHO says snakebites kill 200 people a day and injure 400,000 yearly
- Glanville and team now testing human-safe versions of this discovery
- The new method may bring a single pan-antivenom to save lives worldwide
Snake Venom Antivenom Breakthrough: Yes, This Man Really Injected Himself Hundreds of Times
This isn’t a horror movie or a bizarre internet rumor — it’s real, it’s science, and it might change the world.
In what can only be described as one of the most shocking scientific breakthroughs in recent history, researchers have developed a revolutionary new snakebite antivenom using blood from a man who spent nearly two decades injecting himself with snake venom.
Yes. On purpose.
Meet Tim Friede, a self-taught snake expert who voluntarily allowed some of the world’s deadliest snakes — including cobras, mambas, and rattlesnakes — to bite him and injected himself with their venom hundreds of times over 18 years.
And now? His immune response is saving mice — and may soon save humans.
The Scientist Who Saw Through the “Crazy” Headlines
It all started back in 2017 when Immunologist Jacob Glanville stumbled upon media reports titled, “Crazy Guy Gets Bitten by Snakes to Become Immune.”
Most people laughed or cringed.
Glanville? He leaned in.
“There’s a diamond in the rough here,” he said.
He contacted Friede and asked for a sample of his blood.
“Finally,” Friede reportedly replied. “I’ve been waiting for this call.”
And just like that, a one-of-a-kind scientific partnership was born.
Tim Friede: The Venom Man
From his home in California, Friede built his own lab, raised venomous snakes, and carefully recorded every injection and bite. Over nearly two decades, he developed immunity to multiple snake neurotoxins — something no one else on Earth had done in such a controlled, dedicated way.
He stopped in 2018 after a few close calls — and possibly because, you know, injecting snake venom isn’t exactly safe.
Today, Friede works for Glanville’s biotech company Centivax, and his blood — yes, literally his blood — has become the foundation for what could be the most effective antivenom ever created.
The Breakthrough: A Snakebite Cure Made from Human Blood?
Together with Columbia University’s Dr. Peter Kwong, Glanville and his team isolated two key antibodies from Friede’s blood that can neutralize the venom of 19 deadly snake species.
That includes some of the nastiest serpents on Earth: coral snakes, taipans, mambas, cobras, kraits… the list goes on.
The team also added a third component — a small-molecule drug called varespladib, which targets a common enzyme found in 95% of all snake venoms.
The results?
- 100% protection in mice for venom from 13 different snakes
- Partial protection (20%–40%) from the other six species
- No horses, no messy side effects, and no Victorian-era lab techniques involved
This could be the first real modern antivenom — and it’s made from a man who used to let snakes bite him for breakfast.
Traditional Antivenoms: Outdated, Dangerous, and Expensive
Let’s be real. The current way we make antivenoms is… medieval.
It involves:
- Milking venom from live snakes
- Injecting it into horses
- Drawing horse blood, purifying it, and turning it into a serum
- Then hoping it works and doesn’t cause a massive allergic reaction
It’s slow, risky, and prone to errors. And it’s a big reason snakebites still kill 200 people a day — mostly in Africa, Asia, and South America.
According to the World Health Organization, another 400,000 people are left with permanent disabilities each year.
If this new antivenom works in humans, it could save millions — and it all started with a guy who said, “Sure, I’ll let a cobra bite me again.”
How the Research Was Done
Here’s the breakdown:
- Friede’s blood was tested against venom from 19 snake species
- Mice were injected with lethal doses of venom
- Scientists then treated them with one or both of the human-derived antibodies, plus varespladib
- Mice were monitored for survival
The most promising result came from a combo of both antibodies plus the drug — which formed a three-part super-antivenom.
“If this makes it into clinics, it would completely change the field,” said Steven Hall, a UK snakebite pharmacologist.
And because the antibodies come from a human source, the side effects are expected to be much lower than those from animal-based serums.
Why This Could Change Everything
- One antivenom to treat dozens of bites — a single solution for areas where snake ID is impossible
- Fewer side effects thanks to human-derived antibodies
- No need for horses, goats, or other animals in production
- Cheaper and faster to produce on a global scale
Imagine emergency medics, field hospitals, or even pet owners in Australia being able to carry a universal antidote that could save a life in minutes.
That’s what this discovery could mean.
What’s Next: Human Trials and Global Use
So far, the new antivenom has only been tested in mice — but the researchers are working fast to begin human clinical trials.
There are also plans to:
- Test the treatment on dogs in Australia, who often die from elapid snake bites
- Develop two separate formulas: one for elapid snakes (like cobras and kraits), and another for viperids (like rattlesnakes and vipers)
“The final product might be a single, universal antivenom,” said Dr. Kwong. “Or we might make two, depending on the regional snake types.”
Either way, the days of having to carry 10 different antivenoms in jungle clinics may soon be over.
Snake Venom Antivenom Breakthrough That No One Saw Coming
This story sounds like a movie script — but it’s all true.
- One man injected himself with lethal venom for nearly 20 years
- A scientist took a chance and asked to test his blood
- And now, we’re on the edge of a medical revolution that could save millions
The snake venom antivenom breakthrough isn’t just about weird science or daredevil behavior — it’s about using bold, out-of-the-box thinking to solve one of the deadliest problems in global health.
We may just owe it all to the man who was once called “crazy” — but whose blood might now be the key to surviving the deadliest bite on Earth.
