Myanmar has one of the highest burdens of snakebite in the world, killing more than 500 people each year. In 2014, a joint four-year project between the Myanmar and Australian governments, The University of Adelaide and CSL Seqirus was formed to improve the health outcomes of snakebite patients in Myanmar.
The project worked to improve the quantity and quality of the antivenom and to ensure it is available to patients when and where they need it most. CSL Seqirus shared its expertise in animal husbandry and the manufacture of antivenom, with our specialist team working with colleagues in Myanmar as well as leading Australian experts on the processes to increase the antibody output. The Myanmar facility is on track to gain sustainable sufficient antivenom production to meet all their local needs.
With over 70 years’ experience in antivenom manufacture in Australia, we are proud to have been part of the Myanmar Snakebite Project to share our knowledge of animal husbandry and antivenom manufacture.
A paper on this project was published in Toxicon:X, Volume 1, January 2019, 100001, titled “A comprehensive approach to managing a neglected, neglected tropical disease; The Myanmar Snakebite Project (MSP)” by Julian White et al.
Read the published paper