ADDovenom: Novel Snakebite Therapy Platform of Unparalleled Efficacy, Safety and Affordabillity
About Addvenom
Snakebites can be life-threatening when venom toxins are injected and enter the bloodstream. In areas where immediate access to specialised medical care is limited, bites by venomous snakes cause many thousands of deaths each year.
The EU-funded ADDovenom Project will use an innovative platform enabling generation of new snakebite treatment, based on a new disruptive protein-based nanoscaffold called ADDomer© – a megadalton- sized, thermostable synthetic virus-like particle with 60 high-affinity binding sites to neutralise and eliminate venom toxins from the bloodstream.
ADDovenom combines pioneering proteomics, transcriptomics and bioinformatics focusing on snake toxins provoking the most challenging syndromes like haemorrhage and paralysis. The aim is to develop first-in-class neutralising superbinders for snakebite therapy of unprecedented efficacy against the most prevalent Sub-Saharan snakes.
ADDomer©: Synthetic multiepitope display scaffold for next generation vaccines.
Research
The project comprises several technological challenges (rational design of new antigens as consensus toxins/epitope strings, design of an ADDobody library) and high-risk research (in vitro selection of new binders from a novel protein scaffold).
Latest news
ADDovenom: Results in brief
The CORDIS - EU website has published a 'Results in Brief' article, looking at the achievements of the ADDovenom project. The article can be found here, but is reposted below. Genetically engineered...
ADDovenom team publishes toxin database
One of the ADDovenom project's key deliverables was the production of a publicly available annotated toxin database, containing analysis of nine African snake venoms. The database is now...
‘The Scientist’ interviews ADDovenom Project Co-ordinator
Prof Christiane Berger Schaffitzel has been interviewed by The Scientist about research on the composition of snake venom. The article (How Climate Influences a Deadly Snake’s Venom Chemistry)...
iPaper visits LSTM’s Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions
The iPaper's Science Writer, Clare Wilson, has visited the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine’s Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions and spoken with Prof Nick Casewell about both new...
Prof Nicholas Casewell shortlisted for Blavatnik Award
Prof Nicholas Casewell, Director of the Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), has been named as a finalist in the Blavatnik Awards for...
iBET CEO elected to Portuguese Academy of Engineering
Prof Paula Alves, CEO of ADDovenom partner iBET, has been elected as a member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering, recognizing her exceptional contributions to engineering and science. Founded...
iBET CEO Paula Alves honoured with APIFARMA award
iBET CEO Paula Alves was one of three health sector professionals recognised with a Merit Personality Award at APIFARMA's 85th Anniversary event. iBET reports: Paula Alves was honored for her...
Axel de Monts wins poster prize at SFET 2024
Congratulations to ADDovenom researcher Axel de Monts (University of Liège), who won the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 30th Meeting on Toxinology of the French Society of Toxinology (SFET),...
PhD viva success for Sophie Hall
Congratulations to ADDovenom researcher Sophie Hall, a member of the Berger-Schaffitzel Lab at University of Bristol, who successfully defended her PhD and passed her viva in November 2024. Her...
Experts
ADDovenom synergistically combines unique expertise across a range of techniques and scientific disciplines, towards the objective to develop easy to produce, first-in-class neutralizing superbinders for snakebite therapy.