Poisonous Spiders In Arizona

Mexico To The Rescue In America's 'Venom Belt'

Toxicologists refer to the American Southwest as the "Venom Belt" for its many venomous spiders, snakes and scorpions. In fact, doctors estimate there are about 250 severe scorpion stings a year in this country.

Most of those stung are children in Arizona, but the U.S. ran out of its own supply of scorpion antivenom nearly a decade ago. Mexican doctors, however, have been treating stings from venomous creatures for years, and what they've learned may now save American lives.

Just last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug made in Mexico for use in the U.S. to treat severe scorpion stings.This is called Anascorp and was developed by a company called Instituto Bioclone.

Pharmaceutical companies in the United States have little incentive to make antivenom, because it is expensive and there just are not enough patients to ensure a profit. "We felt very isolated Arizona, we felt abandoned," said Boyer. "It was an orphan disease."

That was until Boyer took a trip south of the border and found that Mexico has a much larger scorpion.

In Mexico, a quarter of a million people are stung by scorpions each year. Some clinics in central Mexico can have dozens of scorpion sting patients per night in the summer.

"Mexico has been in the antivenom field for many years, and over many years we have accumulated a big experience on how to make good antivenoms," says Dr. Alejandro Alagon, a professor of biochemistry at Mexico's Autonomous National University.

Alagon says 20 years ago hundreds of people in Mexico would die each year from scorpion stings. Alagon is also an adviser to the Mexican drug company that makes the antivenom, which is effective against the same species of scorpion that exists in Arizona.

Bringing The Antivenom Over The Border

"We discovered that our Mexican colleagues had pushed the technology of antivenom development way beyond what we had done in the U.S.," Boyer says.

In 2004, Boyer launched a clinical study of Anascorp in the U.S. The study, supervised by the FDA, included 28 participating hospitals. Nearly 2,000 Americans received the drug.

One of the youngest American patients to receive it so far is 4-year-old Ryleigh Wagley. She was stung by a scorpion in her crib when she was just 25 days old.

The Wagley family lives in rural eastern Arizona, more than two hours away from the nearest ICU. Luckily for Ryleigh, a small clinic in the nearby mining town of Morenci was part of the clinical study of Anascorp. Dr. Fred Fox, the physician who treated Ryleigh, says the antivenom helped saved her life.

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It lives mainly in Arizona but has turned up in New Mexico and southern Nevada.

Toxicologists refer to the American Southwest as the “Venom Belt” for its many venomous spiders, snakes and scorpions. In fact, physicians estimate there are about 250 severe scorpion stings a year in this country.

Most of those stung are kids in Arizona, but the U.S. ran out of its own supply of scorpion antivenom almost a decade ago. Mexican doctors, however, have been treating stings from venomous creatures for years, and what they have learned may now save American lives.

Just last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug made in Mexico for use in the United States to treat severe scorpion stings. This is called Anascorp and was developed by a company called Instituto Bioclone.

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Dr. Leslie Boyer is the director of the Institute VIPER at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She was also the head of the clinical study for Anascorp drug in the United States.

Dr. Leslie Boyer is the director of the Institute VIPER at the University of Arizona in Tucson.She was also the head of the clinical study for Anascorp drug in the United States.

"Without antivenin, if you had this bad of a shot, you agree to intensive care or you risk death," said Dr. Leslie Boyer, a pediatrician who heads a research center in Tucson venom.

U.S. drug companies to lower incentive antivenin because it is expensive and there just are not enough patients to ensure a profit. "We felt very isolated Arizona, we felt abandoned," said Boyer. "It was an orphan disease.”

That was until Boyer took a trip south of the border and discovered that Mexico has a far larger scorpion problem.

In Mexico, a quarter of a million people are stung by scorpions each year. Some clinics in central Mexico can have dozens of scorpion sting patients per night in the summer.

“Mexico has been in the antivenom field for many years, and over many years we have accumulated a huge experience on how to make good antivenoms,” states Dr. Alejandro Alagon, a professor of biochemistry at Mexico’s Autonomous National University.

Alagon States 20 years ago hundreds of people in Mexico would die each year from scorpion stings. Alagon is also an advisor to the Mexican drug company that makes the antivenin, which is effective against the same species of scorpion that exists in Arizona.

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