The bite that heals: venoms that save lives
The man who found the most lucrative drug class in history (but made no money from it)
Do you know this animal? It has a unique connection to one of the greatest blockbuster drugs of all time. I wrote about this connection in my popular science column for Hindustan Times this week.
This venomous lizard from southwestern United States is known as the Gila monster (pronounced “heela”). Due to its unique metabolism, it only needs to eat a few times a year!
Everyone has heard the name of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro for treating diabetes and obesity. How many people know that the venom of the Gila monster paved the way for these drugs?
The Gila monster’s ability to efficiently regulate glucose led researchers to discover exendin-4 in its venom, which mimics GLP-1 and is resistant to breaking down, making it ideal for managing blood sugar levels and promoting weight loss. This led to the drug Byetta (a precursor to other GLP-1 drugs).
Few people see the upside of a venomous bite. What they may not know is that venom holds the key to many medical breakthroughs.
Moving from lizards to snakes, we find more drug ideas. Venom injected during a snake bite releases chemicals that can lower blood pressure, interrupt nerve signals, or alter blood clotting.
Venomics, the study of venom’s chemical components, is uncovering peptides, proteins, and enzymes that target the nervous, cardiovascular, or muscular systems, opening new doors for drug development.
In-depth studies of over 200 snake species have led to innovative drugs. Let me give you a few examples.
Captopril, developed from the venom of the Brazilian pit viper, revolutionized hypertension and heart failure treatment. It belongs to a class of drugs known as ACE inhibitors. My father studied the effect of this drug in patients in the early 80s, and later took an ACE inhibitor for much of his life.
Eptifibatide, derived from the venom of the southeastern pygmy rattlesnake, prevents blood clots during cardiac procedures. Tirofiban, from the venom of the saw-scaled viper, treats acute coronary syndrome.
Other venoms are also being examined. Cone snail and spider venoms target specific ion channels and receptors, inspiring drugs to manage pain or autoimmune diseases without traditional side effects.
As venom research advances, focusing on ethical and ecological impacts is crucial. Protecting endangered venomous species leads to sustainable research practices, such as synthesizing venom components in the lab. This reduces the need for extraction from wild animals while also ensuring scalable drug production.
Have you read When The Drugs Don’t Work Yet? If not what are you waiting for? Positive reviews? Well, I have those for you too. ;-)
I really loved this review in Financial Express this week—
…this refreshingly jargon-light book that simplifies science on this critical topic is a great prescription for all laypersons who have popped an antibiotic ever in their life.
It was not uncritical, but I could tell that the main points of the book got across.
This week, Asian Age writes—
A microbiologist by training, the brilliant Anirban Mahapatra goes on to outline some solution ideas [to the superbug crisis]. A must-read, and not only for science buffs!
And in India Today magazine this week—
Anirban Mahapatra’s When the Drugs Don’t Work goes a step further by whittling down the threat to an individual, almost experiential, level. Today, anyone who has poor immunity (like the 100 million or so diabetics in the country), needs to undergo a surgery, undergo chemotherapy, or even deliver a baby is at risk from superbugs... The remarkable pace and ingenuity with which bacteria are capitalising on mistakes made by humans in poultry farming, medical prescriptions and waste management, drives home the reality that this silent threat is at our own doorstep already. This book is an essential guide to the dangers that bacteria now pose to modern medicine...
What’s the gist of the book? I had a great time chatting with Sonali Acharjee about it on the India Today "Health Wealth" podcast.
My book is available at fine booksellers everywhere and online on Amazon.
Moving on to more drugs… but this time from fungi. They gave us some of our most important medicines.
Nature is still the best medicine cabinet.
Akira Endo, the Japanese biochemist who passed away at 90 last month, discovered the first statin. His revolutionary breakthrough transformed heart attack prevention and created the most lucrative drug class in history.
I wrote about Endo's discovery, and here’s the gist.
Endo’s discovery from a mold marked a significant medical advance but remains relatively unknown. Born in 1933 in rural Japan, his fascination with fungi led to a career in biochemistry. Endo was inspired by Sir Alexander Fleming's penicillin discovery.
After studying at Tohoku University, Endo joined Sankyo in the late 1950s, initially working on enzymes for food production. Although he initially aimed to find a cure for strokes, which had claimed the lives of his father and grandparents, his exposure to the prevalence of heart disease in the US led him to shift focus. Cholesterol had been identified as a major factor in heart disease, a leading cause of death globally by the 1960s.
In the 1960s, Endo earned a doctorate and briefly worked in New York City. Endo believed that molds could produce a cholesterol-lowering compound. This idea was inspired by the discovery of penicillin, the first antibiotic, which had been discovered by Fleming in mold.
Over two years, Endo and his team tested 6,000 fungal broths. In 1973, they discovered compactin, the first statin. Initial tests failed, but further testing on hens proved successful. Despite skepticism from Sankyo's management, Endo conducted secret trials at Osaka University, confirming compactin's effectiveness in humans.
Merck eventually developed lovastatin from Sankyo's data, launching it as Mevacor in 1987. By the mid-1990s, statins were hailed as a medical miracle, significantly reducing heart attack and stroke risks.
Statins became a blockbuster drug class, transforming heart health care and saving lives. Despite his discovery's impact, Endo saw little personal gain and never received royalties. Nobel laureates Michael S. Brown and Joseph Goldstein credited him for extending millions of lives.
Even in his later years, he continued exploring fungal applications. Endo faced high cholesterol himself. A doctor, unaware of Endo’s legacy, recommended statins, which he briefly took before managing his cholesterol through exercise.
When asked why the statin discoverer did not take statins himself, Endo answered with a Japanese proverb: “The indigo dyer wears white trousers.”
Thanks for reading!