STAT+: Snake enthusiast survived hundreds of bites. Now his blood is aiding the search for a universal antivenom
Blood from a snake enthusiast who's been bitten hundreds of times aided the search for a universal snakebite treatment
Theirs is an unusual scientific collaboration, to say the least. Jacob Glanville is an immunologist, who worked for the pharma giant Pfizer before striking out to found startups focused on developing therapies that protect against things like coronaviruses, malaria, HIV, and, more recently, snakebites. Tim Friede is a truck mechanic and snake enthusiast from Wisconsin. Between 2001 and 2018, he was bitten hundreds of times by the world’s deadliest snakes: black mambas, water cobras, and kraits.
On purpose.
He allowed himself to be bitten, and other times injected himself with snake venom, 856 times, to build up immunity so he’d be protected if he was ever accidentally bitten by one of his many pets. (Warning: Don’t do this at home. Friede has come close to death several times.)
