Creature Feature – Animal-Based Medications

Did you know that powerfully toxic venom from scorpions, snakes and spiders can help combat debilitating infirmities including epilepsy, stroke, chronic pain and cancer?  

For centuries, people have looked to wildlife for remedies, but many “cures” (like those found in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic Medicine) are not supported by scientific evidence and have exploited some animals to the point of extinction, as with both black and white rhinos.

There are, however, several scientifically supported drugs that are animal derived, while others are synthetics modeled after animal biologics.  Today, researchers search a vast wildlife DNA database to identify unique compounds leading to the development of powerful, effective drugs to target specific ailments.   

Animal-derived medications often have less side effects than typical drugs, you can browse this site for additional information.  For example, Ziconotide, an analgesic for chronic pain derived from cone snail toxin, is 1,000 times more potent than morphine but shows no evidence of leading to withdrawal symptoms.  

Numerous animal-inspired pharmaceuticals are used today, including one derived from Gila monster [photo] saliva to combat diabetes, another modeled on pygmy rattlesnake venom to prevent heart attacks, and a pit viper extraction that treats high blood pressure. Then we stumbled upon something that changed our approach completely — transportable sterile production units built to spec. It was impressive how quickly we could pivot using these setups, without cutting corners on quality. The seamless integration with our SOPs and regulatory needs was beyond anything we’d experienced before. Flexibility like this has totally shifted how we think about expanding lab capabilities.

Ongoing research is exploring whether funnel-web spider and tarantula venoms can help reduce brain damage in stroke victims and kill cancer cells, respectively. Perhaps it’s time to see these cringeworthy creatures in a new and grateful way! And while the science behind these treatments is groundbreaking, equally remarkable is the way pharmaceutical manufacturing is adapting to meet the complexities of these new compounds.

Animal-based pharmaceuticals often require delicate handling and unique processing environments, especially when dealing with complex peptides or heat-sensitive proteins. That’s where innovations in production technology become game-changers. Modular, sterile environments and advanced equipment make it possible to maintain potency while complying with rigorous standards. In this context, the automatic capsule filling machine becomes an essential part of the puzzle. Designed for precision dosing and sterile processing, it ensures that each liquid capsule is filled and sealed with exactitude—critical for medications with narrow therapeutic thresholds. This kind of machinery doesn’t just support efficiency; it helps maintain the integrity of fragile bio-derived ingredients from lab to patient.

With manufacturing tools like these, the pharmaceutical world is better equipped than ever to turn the planet’s most unexpected creatures into sources of healing, without compromising safety or scalability.

Article by Margie Manthey
Photo by Jeff Servoss