Kolkata: In a unique move two medical colleges in the city — SSKM and NRS Medical College may soon undertake trials of an injection drug meant for the treatment of snakebite patients. Both the hospitals have taken initiatives to prepare a database in this regard.
Both these medical colleges will conduct trials of Varespladib methyl injection to carry out a thorough research on the efficacy of the drug.
This drug in tablet form has been proved effective as the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) in the city had already conducted trials on the patients.
The CNMCH had already administered Varespladib methyl tablets on more than 15 snake bite patients and the result was satisfactory. All these patients recovered after being administered the anti snake venom.
Senior health officials in the state are trying to perform the trial run of the drugs in large scale so that the snakebite patients will be immensely benefitted. Earlier, anti snake venom was produced in the Bengal Chemical but for the past few years, anti venom serum is brought from Tamil Nadu.
The CNMCH is the only centre in Eastern India that has so far carried out this project because it has the infrastructure to treat snakebite victims and gets the maximum number of patients suffering from snake bites. More medical colleges are coming up to start the project. Volunteers will be selected for initial trails. Participants will be under close monitoring and their blood samples will be closely recorded and later studied elaborately.
According to data, fatalities in India are estimated at a staggering 50,000 annually, the world’s highest as the patients are inadequately treated or the cases are often under-reported. Snakebites are neglected and the consequences occur mostly in poor people. It may be mentioned here that in 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized snakebites as a neglected tropical disease.