07/05/2026
On Tuesday, 28 April, we had the privilege of introducing the new method of making anti-venom to members of the South African Zulu Royal Family: Princess Ntandoyesizwe Zulu-Tembe, daughter of the late Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and Queen Mantfombi Dlamini, and her husband, Mr Moses Tembe.
This is a project that the Lööf Foundation has been supporting for the past three years. We truly believe in Mr Donald Schultz, the founder and inventor of this method, and in the potential success of this approach in the future.
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, anti-venom shortages remain a serious problem. Traditional anti-venom is produced using horses, which can be a slow and expensive process. It may also carry the risk of severe allergic reactions due to the presence of horse proteins.
This new method explores producing anti-venom directly from the snake’s own blood, with the goal of creating a faster, more targeted, and potentially safer treatment pathway.
At this stage, most of the available data comes from America, with limited visible South African data. This is why local research is so important.
Our next steps are to:
🐍 Establish a SAHPRA-approved container lab
🔬 Secure Section 20 approval
🇿🇦 Collect local South African data
🏥 Work with teaching hospitals
🚑 Move toward human clinical trials
As part of the early research, we recently collected blood from a Black Mamba, a Green Mamba, and a Forest Cobra. This blood is used in the antivenom development process and also helps us study venom, blood, plasma quality, antibody response, and seasonal factors that may affect effectiveness.
This is a five-year vision, with an estimated setup cost of around R20 million. It will require support from researchers, hospitals, donors, and partners.
To date, this work has already helped save approximately 150 dogs and the eyesight of four people. The goal now is to move toward human clinical trials and help save lives across South Africa and the wider region.
We need all the support we can get to make this possible.
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