This
review presents the main contributions to our
knowledge regarding the development of
antivenoms for
therapeutic use in victims of venomous
animal bites. We cover the progress of
serum therapy since
tetanus and
diphtheria antitoxins in
Germany and
France until the current scenario of
antivenom production worldwide. During these more than 120 years of
antivenom development, many
researchers contributed to establish what are nowadays the
antivenoms used for
therapeutic purpose. The
history of
antivenoms development is fascinating! This
review aims to recognize all those
who contributed to the establishment of new sera, new methodologies and saving lives much more than Calmette and Vital
Brazil.