Preparation of National Standard for Cobra Venom

Abstract

       The Thai Red Cross Society (TRCs) and the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) are snake antivenom manufacturers in Thailand. Both of them have used their own snake venoms for quality control of their products because there was no national standard venoms. Therefore, their potency results have been incomparable the Institute of Biological Produtcs (IBP), which acting as the national control laboratory for the biologics in Thailand, has cooperated with these two manufacturers in preparation of a national cobra venom standard. The results showed that the average LD₅₀ values of cobra venom were between 10.57-15.67 micrograms per milliliter and protein content was 70.8 percent. Identity test by immunodiffusion showed the venom was specific to the cobra antivenom. From the protein profile by SDS-PAGE method, the venom did not differ from previous lot used for potency test in IBP’s laboratory. Cobra venom lot number CV 0142-S used in this study was decared as the national reference material. The outcome of this cooperation is the quality control of snake antivenom in Thailand being internationally recognized.