Ophirex to Supply Marimastat Drug Substance to Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine for Novel Snakebite Treatment Research

Agreement Advances Mission to Address Critical Snakebite Treatment Gap Through the Development of Novel Oral Therapies

CORTE MADERA, Calif., Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ophirex, Inc., a Public Benefit Corporation developing novel treatments for snakebite envenomation, today announced it has entered into an agreement to produce marimastat, an inhibitor of snake venom metalloproteinases, for Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM). The drug substance will be used in the LSTM’s Centre for Snakebite Research & Interventions’ (CSRI) TOCSINS clinical trial: a phase 2 platform trial of novel oral snakebite treatments funded by a £4.2 million grant from Coefficient Giving.

The agreement reflects growing scientific interest in oral small-molecule approaches to snakebite treatment. Marimastat is a small-molecule inhibitor of metalloproteinases, a major snake venom toxin which plays a primary role in the digestion of tissues, leading to swelling, necrosis and internal bleeding. Metalloproteinases also disrupt the coagulation pathway, impeding the blood’s ability to clot and creating risk of hemorrhage. Ophirex’s lead investigational candidate, varespladib, is a small-molecule inhibitor of snake venom secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), another major snake venom toxin with multiple effects including neurotoxicity, local tissue injury, and hemorrhage. Together, metalloproteinases and sPLA2s make up the major toxic components in the venoms of many of the deadliest snakes worldwide.

Snakebite is a neglected global health crisis, with 4–5 million bites resulting in approximately 138,000 deaths and 400,000 permanent disabilities worldwide each year. A critical challenge in treating snakebite is the time delay between when the bite takes place and arrival at a hospital – where antivenom can be administered. In fact, 75% of snakebite-related deaths occur before hospital arrival. People living in low- and middle-income countries in areas with limited healthcare infrastructure are at the greatest risk for poor outcomes following a venomous snakebite. This underscores the unmet need for portable, oral therapies that can be administered immediately following a bite.

"Oral treatments that can be carried and administered at the time of bite or given to patients in rural health clinics represent a fundamental shift in how we approach snakebite treatment," said Jeremy Gowler, CEO of Ophirex. “LSTM is a leader in snakebite research, and their evaluation of marimastat complements our ongoing efforts to fulfill the unmet need in snakebite treatment with accessible, effective new therapies. We value the opportunity to partner with this esteemed institution and its researchers."

Marimastat has demonstrated promising results in animal models, both as a standalone treatment for specific viper envenomings and as a combination therapy with varespladib for the world's most medically important vipers. Ophirex recently conducted an animal study, with the support of the U.S. Defense Health Agency, evaluating the impact of adding a metalloproteinase inhibitor to varespladib on recovery, function and return-to-duty time following snakebite. The results of this study are planned for future publication. Oral formulations of varespladib plus a metalloproteinase inhibitor may provide the opportunity to rapidly inhibit toxin activity and mitigate downstream effects.

“The potential of oral therapies to bridge the gap between bite and hospital care and even obviate the need for antivenom for some snake species could fundamentally change outcomes for snakebite victims," said Prof. Nicholas Casewell, Director of the Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions (CSRI) at LSTM. “The agreement with Ophirex and the upcoming clinical study with leading scientists from around the world are important steps forward in our mission to evaluate novel new treatment options for snakebite envenoming. We also hope that this project will enable wider collaborative activities with Ophirex that help us to achieve our goal of delivering affordable and accessible therapy to the world’s disadvantaged snakebite patients."

LSTM’s clinical trials are planned in partnership with leading scientists Prof. Wuelton Monteiro and Prof. John Amuasi at the Fundação de Medicina Tropical Heitor Vieira Dourado (FMT-HVD) in Brazil and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research (KCCR) in Ghana, respectively. The trial consortium also includes scientists from the University of Liverpool, Cambridge University, and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

About Ophirex
Ophirex is a Public Benefit Corporation developing varespladib, a first-of-its-kind oral rescue treatment for snakebite that can be administered at the time of bite. Varespladib is a small-molecule inhibitor of snake venom secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), a class of toxins present in the venom of more than 95% of venomous snake species. It rapidly inhibits sPLA2 activity and mitigates downstream toxic effects. Varespladib has received FDA Orphan Drug, Pediatric Rare Disease and Fast Track designations, and is being developed with support from the Defense Health Agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (DHA SBIR) program and the Operational Medical Systems (OPMED) team under the Broad-Spectrum Snakebite Antidote (BSSA) program. Additionally, varespladib has received Minor Use in Major Species (MUMS) designation from the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine for the use of varespladib for the treatment of snakebite in dogs when antivenom is not immediately available. For more information, visit www.ophirex.com.

About Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is the world's oldest centre of excellence in tropical medicine and international public health. It has been engaged in the fight against infectious, debilitating and disabling diseases since 1898 and continues that tradition today with a research portfolio of £738 million and a teaching programme attracting students from dozens of countries.

Media Contact
Ophirex:
Dan Boyle
Orangefiery
dan@orangefiery.com
(818) 209-1692

LSTM:
Dominic Smith
Dominic.Smith@lstmed.ac.uk
+44 (0)151 702 3154

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