When you think about Cobra venom, eventual death comes to mind. A South Florida company is changing the perception of the deadly venom.
Nutra Pharma Corp., a biotechnology company specializing in the acquisition, licensing and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and technologies, has turned the toxin in the venom into treatment for pets and people.
The treatment fills medicine bottles at the facility in Plantation.
Tom Crutchfield, a herpetologist, says there’s really no need to be afraid of this potentially deadly snake.
“I always knew they were special even as a kid, because when I was a kid everybody hated snakes,” said Crutchfield.
He raises and handles the slithering creatures in his farm in Homestead.
Twice a month, Crutchfield milks the venom that will be used to help people and pets with chronic pain.
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“The biodiversity on this planet never ceases to amaze me. And, the more we look, the more we find, the more medicines we find when we look at venoms and poisons and things like that. It’s amazing,” said Crutchfield.
The venom is taken to the Nutra Pharma lab, where it undergoes a process converting it from fluid to powder.
The product is then sold and marketed as Nyloxin, selling for $24.95.
“All the principle work has been in humans. So, the Nyloxin product is amazing. It’s non-addictive, no opiate, non-narcotic. In the last model, it outperformed morphine. It lasted six hours longer than morphine without any of the side effects,” explained Rik Deitsch, CEO of Nutra Pharma Corp.
Deitsch said the extracted venom is also good for pets. It’s sold as Pet Pain Away.
“The problem with pain medication for dogs and cats is there aren't a lot of choices,” said Deitsch.
The product comes as a spray and topical gel. The South Florida-based company says it has three patents on this specific healing formula.
Nutra Pharma says there are 46 published clinical studies about the product.
Nyloxin and Pet Pain Away are all natural and can also be used for auto immune diseases, viruses and pain. Every time the lab milks a cobra, more than 100 bottles of product are made.
