Documentary film now in Production!
DEADLY VENOM CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE!
The hook is Ozempic…
…the wonder drug developed for diabetics that also works for weight loss. And now it might help people with dementia – even alcoholism. It’s a wonder of science that wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for a lizard. The Gila Monster to be precise. Because somewhere along the way somebody discovered that venom could cure our afflictions in ways we never thought possible.
But venom is one of nature’s paradoxes: how can something that can kill us cure us?
We’re about to find out, because there’s money in them thar stingers, teeth and claws – and that means funding for all sorts of new science.
BITE! STING! CURE! will debut a cast of daring characters, risking bites and stings while searching to cure what ails you.Their co-stars are the venomous creatures themselves – and you’ll meet them, up close and personal.
Australia's Eastern Brown Snake
This snake is one of the most poisonous animals in the world, but researchers have found proteins in its venom that create an incredibly fast acting coagulant – a gaping wound can be sealed in under a minute, saving people from uncontrolled bleeding. And new research with the same venom shows promise for cancer and blood pressure treatments too.
The Brazilian Wandering Spider
This spider has a protein that helps men with erectile dysfunction. But it’s also proven effective for post-menopausal women and shows promise in dealing with glaucoma. And it gets better: this spider’s venom could yield a painkiller that’s more effective than morphine.
Jaraca Pit Viper
Forty Years ago, scientists discovered a cure for hypertension in a Jararaca Pit Viper – it’s called Captopril and it’s the first modern drug derived from an animal’s venom. Captopril has saved millions of lives – and not just from hypertension. It’s shown to be help prevent cardiac arrest and the loss of kidney function from diabetes.
Treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer – when they say this is a whole new medical frontier in venom, they mean it. BITE! STING! CURE! is the story of how surprising discoveries in venom are being made at a rapid rate – leaving the field wide open for the next groundbreaking cure.
“We have a venom library from 500 different animals,” says Dr. Glenn King of the University of Queensland, “and every one of those sample has over 200 molecules.”
In other words, there is so much left to discover.
BITE! STING! CURE! has already been greenlit by CBC’s The Nature of Things, and we’re looking for international sales. This is a story of innovation and hope – an adventure among some of the world’s most toxic animals, with the scientists who are discovering cures we never thought imaginable.