A drug that consists of recombinant oligoclonal antibodies has been developed by US scientists that could be mass produced to treat botulism.

The causative agent of botulism, and source of the botulinum neurotoxin, is the soil bacterium Clostridium botulinum. A recent report, highlighted by The New Scientist, claims that one gram of botulinum toxin could kill a million people if evenly dispersed and inhaled. Not surprisingly, this toxin is classified as one of the top six highest-risk bioterrorist weapons by the US Centers for Disease Control. However, if botulinum toxin was to be used in such an attack, there are currently no drugs available that could be produced rapidly in the required quantity to treat or prevent this disease.

Scientists from the University of California at San Fransisco, led by James Mark, have developed an effective drug that, as explained online by HealthScoutNews, consists of “recombinant oligoclonal antibodies — three laboratory-manufactured molecules that bind to the deadly toxin created by the botulism bacterium, rendering it harmless”. Mark told HealthScoutNews that the drug will protect against the botulinum toxin within one or two hours and is effective if given up to two days after exposure, and that the protection will last for three to six months. He also said that, “The drug neutralises the toxin better than the most potent natural immune response. The procedure could be scaled up to mass produce and stockpile the drug to be used to prevent or treat botulism,” as reported by BBC News online. This work is published online by The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (DOI 10.1073/pnas.172229899).