Drugs from venom peptides
Medicines with APIs derived from animal venom toxins. APIs are either native purified toxins, synthetic version of native toxins, or peptide or small-molecule peptidomimetics of native toxins.
Ref: Takacs & Nathan (2014) Animal Venoms in Medicine. In: Ecyclopedia of Toxicology, 3rd ed, Vol 1. Elsevier, Academic Press, 52.
Generic name
|
Species origin of venom toxin |
Mechanism of action |
Indication (Diseases) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Approved drugs and therapies in clinical use |
||||
|
captopril |
|
Jararaca pit viper snake |
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor |
hypertension, cardiac failure |
|
enalapril |
|
Jararaca pit viper snake |
angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor |
hypertension, cardiac failure |
|
exenatide |
|
Gila monster lizard |
glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist |
type 2 diabetes mellitus |
|
exenatide |
|
Gila monster lizard |
glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (extended release) |
type 2 diabetes mellitus |
|
ziconotide |
|
Magical cone marine snail |
Cav2.2 channel antagonist |
management of severe chronic pain |
|
bivalirudin |
|
European medicinal leech |
reversible direct thrombin inhibitor |
anticoagulant in percutaneous coronary intervention |
|
lepirudin |
|
European medicinal leech |
binds irreversibly to thrombin |
anticoagulation in heparin-associated thrombocytopenia; thromboembolic disease |
|
desirudin |
|
European medicinal leech |
selective and near-irreversible inhibitor of thrombin |
prevention of venous thrombotic events |
|
tirofiban |
|
Saw-scaled viper snake |
antagonist of fibrinogen binding to the GPlIb/lIla receptor |
acute coronary syndrome |
|
eptifibatide |
|
Pigmy rattlesnake |
prevents binding of fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, and other adhesive ligands to GPIIb/IIIa |
acute coronary syndrome; percutaneous coronary intervention |
|
batroxobin |
|
Common lancehead snake |
cleaves Aα-chain of fibrinogen |
acute cerebral infarction; unspecific angina pectoris; sudden deafness |
|
platelet gel |
|
Common lancehead snake |
cleaves Aα-chain of fibrinogen |
gelification of blood for topical applications |
|
fibrin sealant |
|
Brazilian lancehead snake |
cleaves Aα-chain of fibrinogen |
autologous fibrin sealant in surgery |
|
thrombin-like enzymes |
|
Chinese moccasin snake |
fibrinogenase |
antithrombotics; defibrinating agent for the treatment and prevention of thromboembolic disease |
|
hemocoagulase |
|
Common lancehead snake |
cleaves Aα-chain of fibrinogen; factor X and/or prothrombin activation
|
prophylaxis and treatment of hemorrhage in surgery |
|
medicinal leech therapy |
|
European medicinal leech |
inhibits platelet aggregation and the coagulation cascade |
skin grafts and reattachment surgery |
|
Drugs in clinical trials (as of 2017) |
||||
|
Stichodactyla toxin ShK |
|
Sun sea anemone |
Kv1.3 channel antagonist |
psoriatic arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases |
|
chlorotoxin |
|
Deathstalker (Yellow scorpion) |
binds to membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), MMP-2 matrix MMP-2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2, CLC-3 Cl- channel in glioma cells and other tumors of neuroectodermal origin |
glioma and other central nervous system tumors |
|
soricidin |
|
Northern short-tailed shrew |
inhibitor of the Ca2+-selective transient receptor potential channel TRPV6 |
ovarian (and other) cancers |
|
Terminated at clinical trial stage (since 2014) |
||||
|
Dendroaspis natriuretic peptide |
|
Eastern green mamba snake |
inhibit platelet aggregation and the coagulation cascade |
congestive cardiac failure |
|
Desmodus rotundus salivary plasminogen activator (DSPA) |
|
Common vampire bat |
plasminogen activator α1 with high fibrin specificity |
acute ischemic stroke |
