Large animal models for the assessment of snakebite envenoming therapies
Snakebite envenoming causes over 100,000 deaths annually, creating a need for more effective therapies. Traditionally, most preclinical testing relies on murine models with limited translational value. This review highlights the value of large animal models, particularly sheep and pigs, for studying venom toxicokinetics and antibody and small-molecule pharmacokinetics. Implementing clear guidelines and standardized endpoints in large-animal studies could help advance the clinical translation of new snakebite treatments.
Authors
- Melisa Bénard-Valle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0042-6592)
- Édgar Neri-Castro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1551-4584)
- Anne Ljungars (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2158-0601)
- Andreas H. Laustsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6918-5574)
- Cassandra M. Modahl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2211-3930)
- Shirin Ahmadi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4131-583X)
- Leslie Boyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7622-2326)
- Alejandro Alagón
Institutions
- University of Arizona (US)
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (GB)
- Pilates of Marin (US)
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (MX)
- Technical University of Denmark (DK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Drug Discovery.
- Published
- 2026-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44386-026-00043-8
- Primary Topic
- Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Wellcome
- Royal Society
- Academy of Medical Sciences
- European Commission
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond
- Medical Research Council
- H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions