Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07659002

Polyvalent Antivenom (Premium-PANAF) for Snakebite Envenoming in Ethiopia

Snakebite Envenomation is recognised as a Neglected Tropical Diseases with high lethality in Sub-Saharan Africa. The current syndromic treatment approach is also fraught by supply pipeline constraints and need for cold-chain, thus negatively impacting outcomes in resource limited settings.

Despite the lack of clinical outcome data from studies in humans, after a comprehensive risk-benefit assessment, the World Health Organisation (WHO), in May 2023, recommended the use of Premium-PANAF polyvalent snake antivenom that is lyophilised, and therefore does not require cold-chain conditions. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) also updated its treatment protocol with Premium PANAF being standard of care since June 2025 at Abdurafi (Midre Genet) Health Centre in north west Ethiopia.

Real-world effectiveness by means of Phase IV post marketing studies or pharmacovigilance programmes in countries where it has recently been rolled out is not yet available. This prospective observational cohort study, with a capped sample size of 600 patients, would thus provide much needed evidence on the safety and effectiveness of Premium-PANAF in resource limited settings to help inform national and international treatment guidelines.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Abdurafi Health Center

Ābderafī, Amhara, Ethiopia

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Site Principal Investigator

CONTACT

[email protected]

+251911210229

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Snakebite envenoming patients who receive Premium-PANAF antivenom
  • Patients who have given written informed consent .

Exclusion criteria

  • Snakebite envenoming patients who do not receive Premium-PANAF antivenom
  • Patients referred from other centres who already received other antivenom treatment
  • Patients who are unable or unwilling to give informed consent

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Safety (Allergic Reactions)

    Time frame: 6 hours

    Proportion of patients with severe allergic reactions within 6 hours of antivenom administration according to the Brown grading system

  2. Effectiveness (Correction of Coagulopathy)

    Time frame: 6 hours

    Correction of coagulopathy as measured by the 20-minute whole blood clotting test at 6 hours after antivenom administration

Secondary outcomes

  1. Effectiveness (Number of Vials)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Number of doses (vials) needed to reverse the envenomation syndrome

  2. Effectiveness (Rescue Treatment)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Proportion of patients who require rescue treatment with EchiTab-Plus or SAIMR due to lack of responsiveness to Premium-PANAF

  3. Effectiveness (Mortality)

    Time frame: 42 days

    Death from any cause within 42 days of treatment with antivenom

  4. Effectiveness (Patient Specific Function Scale)

    Time frame: 42 days

    Patient-specific Function Scale (PSFS) score

  5. Effectiveness (Major Bleeding)

    Time frame: 7 days

    Proportion of patients with in-hospital major bleeding (defined according to the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria)

  6. Effectiveness (Cessation of Bleeding)

    Time frame: 6 hours

    Proportion of patients with cessation of bleeding

  7. Effectiveness (Serial 20WBCT)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Proportion of patients with reversal of correction of coagulopathy as measured by serial 20min WBCT

  8. Effectiveness (Blood Transfusion)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Proportion of patients who require blood transfusion during hospitalization

  9. Effectiveness (Surgical Intervention)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Proportion of patients who require surgical intervention

  10. Effectiveness (Skin Necrosis)

    Time frame: 48 hours

    Mean and median total surface area of full thickness skin necrosis in cm2

  11. Effectiveness (Swelling Reduction)

    Time frame: 6 hours

    Reduction of swelling extension

  12. Effectiveness (Renal Replacement Therapy)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Proportion of participants referred for renal replacement therapy

  13. Effectiveness (Creatine Kinase)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Peak serum creatine kinase in U/L

  14. Effectiveness (Need for Ventilation)

    Time frame: 48 hours

    Proportion of participants needing mechanical or manual ventilation

  15. Safety (Presence of Shock)

    Time frame: 3 hours

    Proportion of patients with shock (shock defined as systolic blood pressure <90mmHg in adults, or age adjusted blood pressure in children)

  16. Safety (Need for Adrenaline)

    Time frame: 14 days

    Proportion of patients requiring adrenaline

  17. Safety (Anaphylaxis)

    Time frame: 2 hours

    Proportion of patients experiencing anaphylaxis after antivenom administration

  18. Safety (Need for intravenous fluids)

    Time frame: 2 hours

    Proportion of patients requiring IV fluids following an allergic reaction

  19. Safey (Serum Sickness)

    Time frame: 28 days

    Proportion of patients with confirmed or probable serum sickness

  20. Safety (Any Other)

    Time frame: 7 days

    Any other (serious) adverse events after enrolment in the study among participants with at least one dose of antivenom delivered

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Medecins Sans Frontieres, Netherlands

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia

Registry information

Official study title

A Prospective Cohort Study of Polyvalent Antivenom (Premium-PANAF) for Snakebite Envenoming in Ethiopia

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jun 22, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 22, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.