Synthetic Snail Venom May Work As Alternative Pain Reliever

[Andrew]

A recent study has shown that a synthetic form of venom from the Conus Magus cone snail, found in tropical saltwater, can ease pain in cancer and AIDS patients who get no relief from morphine or other standard painkillers. Research has found that the snail venom might also have beneficial effects on some heart problems, strokes, central nervous system disorders and other ills. The 10-day study of the experimental drug ziconotide involved 111 patients ages 24 to 85 who were treated with a small, battery-operated pump implanted in their abdomens and attached to a catheter that delivered continuous medication or placebo into fluid surrounding the spinal cord. Pain relief was moderate to complete in 53 percent of ziconotide patients, compared with about 18 percent of the placebo group.