Papuan taipan antivenom

Papuan taipan antivenom is a monovalent, whole-IgG biologic developed to treat envenoming by the Papuan taipan (*Oxyuranus scutellatus*). Developed through a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, the University of Papua New Guinea, and Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP) of Costa Rica, this specific antivenom is manufactured from hyperimmunized horse plasma using caprylic acid precipitation to yield a purified IgG preparation. It is designed to neutralize the potent toxins found in Papuan taipan venom, specifically targeting neurotoxins that cause irreversible flaccid paralysis and procoagulant toxins that lead to venom-induced consumption coagulopathy. Clinical trials conducted in Papua New Guinea have demonstrated that the ICP antivenom is as effective as existing treatments but at a substantially lower cost, making it a critical tool for improving snakebite outcomes in the region.

Other names

ICP taipan antivenom