Wisconsin Man Who Let Snakes Bite Him for 20 Years Helps Scientists Create Universal Antivenom
WISCONSIN — For most people, being bitten by a black mamba or king cobra would be a nightmare. But for Tim Friede, a self-taught venom expert from Wisconsin, it was part of a two-decade experiment that turned his body into a scientific marvel.
Building Immunity the Hard Way
Friede spent nearly 20 years voluntarily letting deadly snakes bite him — from tiger snakes to cobras and mambas. His goal was to build up immunity by exposing himself to small amounts of venom over time.
He began by injecting diluted venom, slowly increasing doses until his immune system adapted. Eventually, Friede tested his resilience with direct snake bites — a process that nearly killed him more than once. In one instance, twin bites from an Egyptian cobra and a monocled cobra put him in a four-day coma.
“It always burns and it’s always, always painful,” Friede admitted. “Was it a mistake? Yes. Was it stupid? Yes.”
Scientific Breakthrough
Despite the danger, Friede’s unusual journey has paid off for science. His blood now contains unique antitoxin antibodies, which biotech company Centivax has used to develop a new antivenom cocktail.
By combining two of Friede’s antibodies with a venom-blocking drug called varespladib, researchers achieved:
- Full protection against 13 deadly snake species
- Partial protection against 6 additional species
The findings, published in the journal Cell, suggest that a broad-spectrum or even universal antivenom may soon be possible.
Testing and Future Potential
The new treatment is moving toward real-world testing. Centivax will begin trials in Australia, using the antivenom to treat dogs bitten by snakes. Scientists also hope to expand research to include viper snake bites, which cause thousands of deaths annually.
Lead researcher Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, said Friede’s case is “a once-in-a-lifetime unique immune history” that could change how the world treats snakebites.
Snakebites kill up to 100,000 people worldwide every year and disable hundreds of thousands more. Friede’s controversial experiment could help save many of them in the years to come.
Would you ever take extreme risks like this for science, or do you think it crosses the line? Share your thoughts with us at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
