Compound from deadly spider venom set to save lives

Professor Glenn King from The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience has dedicated his professional life to harnessing the chemistry of venoms from arthropod predators, such as spiders, scorpions and centipedes, to develop novel pharmaceuticals to treat chronic pain, epilepsy and stroke.

With a lab containing the largest collection of venoms in the world, he and fellow Institute researcher, Associate Professor Nathan Palpant, discovered that a molecule from venom of the K’gari (Fraser Island) funnel-web spider successfully blocked signals responsible for the death of heart and brain cells after heart attack and stroke.

The two researchers, whose work led to the establishment of the innovative Brisbane-based start-up company Infensa Bioscience, are looking to progress to clinical trials in 2025 to treat patients suffering serious heart attacks.

Professor King confirmed that the trials can begin once efficacy is established and toxicology safety standards are met through the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

‘Part of this process will also involve developing a plan to manufacture the drug to the very highest standards,’ he said.

Researchers hope that within the next five years the drug will be made widely available to first responders and healthcare professionals in nursing homes who will administer the drug intravenously to treat both heart attack and stroke victims.

How deadly are strokes and heart attacks?

Professor King confirmed that stroke and myocardial infarction are the world’s biggest killers with no drugs available to prevent the tissue damage they cause.

‘When a person has a heart attack or a stroke, there is reduced blood supply to that organ,’ he explained.

‘This triggers a process called anaerobic glycolysis which leads to a build-up of lactic acid, similar to when someone is exercising intensely.

‘During exercise, the body can get rid of the lactic acid quickly, but when you have a heart attack or a stroke, it accumulates and causes the heart or brain to become acidic, which leads to tissue damage.’

Professor King says that each year heart attacks and strokes are responsible for almost 30% of all deaths worldwide.

‘Stroke is also the major cause of serious long-term disability,’ he added.

‘For heart attack patients, even if they survive, their heart is often irreversibly damaged.

‘One quarter of people who survive a heart attack will develop heart failure within the first year, and ultimately, may need a new heart.’

Who is Infensa Bioscience?

The company is headed by The University of Queensland (UQ) Associate Professor Mark Smythe, who also founded NASDAQ-listed company Protagonist Therapeutics.

So far, $23 million has been raised from Australian investors to fund preclinical trials for Infensa Bioscience’s drug which is licensed through UQ’s commercialisation arm, UniQuest.

Professor King, who was recently elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, says all of the researchers involved hope that the drug will change lives for the better, particularly in rural and regional areas, where it is not always as easy to get to a hospital.

‘Our ultimate goal is to get the drug into the hands of first responders to treat heart attacks and strokes,’ he said.

‘You start to lose 2 million neurons every minute after a stroke starts and if it takes a patient a long time to get to the hospital, they will experience a lot of brain damage before they arrive and can be treated.’

Will the drug still contain spider venom?

No.

Professor King says that since the venom molecule was discovered, researchers have replaced it with a smaller synthetic peptide.

‘It is much easier to manufacture a synthetic version — we can do that ourselves instead of relying on sourcing venom,’ he said.

State government support for biomedical enterprises

The department’s Queensland Biomedical 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan ( 605.5 KB) and the Queensland new-industry development strategy both set out how the government will help to grow and support the sector, including innovative biopharmaceutical enterprises like Infensa Bioscience.

The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience was established with support from the Queensland Government. This is an example of how the Queensland Government has contributed to creating a research ecosystem able to spin out strong biomedical enterprises. The Queensland Government will continue to provide support for the state’s biomedical sector, its research institutions and talented researchers whose innovative delivery solutions all have the potential to change the world for the better.

You can learn more about the Queensland Government’s support for our biomedical industry