the present invention relates to an oral formulation of cobra venom , and methods for the oral administration of cobra venom . more particularly , the invention provides formulations of sterile solutions of cobra venom admixed with one or more food - grade preservative ( s ), the combination of venom and preservative ( s ) being suitable for oral administration in several forms , including , for example , as beverages , oral sprays , lozenges , and edible films that can be used with an oral delivery device to permit convenient , metered administration of the venom . the resulting solutions and delivery systems provide safe storage and administration of cobra venom over extended periods of time . formulations of the product as described and claimed herein have been determined to be effective for the reduction of chronic pain symptoms , such as chronic back pain , in human subjects . these analgesic benefits are delivered without significant adverse effects and without potential for addiction , representing a significant advance over opioid - based analgesics . homeopathic cobra venom preparations may be made from the venom of the asian cobra ( e . g ., naja tripudians ) and related species according to methods provided in the united states and european homeopathic pharmacopoeias . historically , cobra venoms were selected by homeopaths based upon their neurotoxic activity for treatment of disorders of the nervous system . without intending to be bound by theory , it is therefore believed that the principal active components in the venoms are most likely neurotoxins . in contrast to the opioid drugs which bind to opioid receptors ( g - protein coupled receptors acting by gabanergic neurotransmission ), the venom neurotoxins are known to primarily target the cholinergic system by blocking the activity of acetylcholine , although it is possible that other receptors or targets may be involved in the analgesic effect . preparing an injectable form of a cobra venom solution is now straightforward . however , developing a convenient and effective oral venom formulation that avoided the known problems associated with oral administration presented several challenges . toxicology studies in mice were conducted by the inventor , from which it was determined that mice could drink a 1 mg / ml solution of cobra venom for 28 days with a daily intake of 350 mg / kg . by contrast , injection of merely 10 - 12 micrograms was a fatal dose . the mice in this study gained weight , were quite active , and were apparently unaffected by the ingestion of cobra venom at this concentration via their drinking water . this perplexing and unexpected finding led the inventor to question why the side effects of oral administration of cobra venom as described in the prior art from the last century , being so to detrimental in humans , were seemingly absent in his studies with the mice . without intending to be bound by theory , it may be that the clinical tests on humans described in the homeopathic literature , which were conducted with orally administered cobra venom , were flawed because the venom product may have been contaminated with bacteria . furthermore , the dosing of the material employed a concentration that was too high . today , it is possible to remove such bacterial contamination by sterile filtration without compromising the quality of the venom . when cobra venom is prepared under sterile conditions , no abdominal problems are experienced . sterile filtration may be accomplished , for example , using a filter having a pore size of 0 . 45 μm or smaller . sterilization may also be accomplished by prolonged low - heat treatment or by pasteurization . providing the sterile composition for oral administration is facilitated by the addition of a food - grade preservative to the venom ( i . e ., at least one food - grade preservative ). the inventor has determined that the use of such a preservative has no adverse effect on the efficacy of the venom composition for achieving analgesia after oral administration . suitable food - grade preservatives include , for example , methyl paraben , sodium benzoate , and potassium sorbate , with the use of other suitable preservatives being known to those of skill in the art and within the scope of the present invention , given the present disclosure . throat irritation had previously been consistently reported when cobra venom was taken by mouth . while homeopathic rules guide the dilution strength of the product from the “ mother tincture ” ( in this case raw venom ), the dose that is applied has been left to the discretion of the homeopath . in the 1873 copy of guy &# 39 ; s hospital report , taylor reported that he received 4 . 2 grains ( 273 mg ) of dried cobra venom and , allowing for the loss of water through desiccation , it represented half a drachm ( 1 . 78 g ) or 15 % of the venom . clinically , cobra venom was used at dilutions as low as 1 : 1000 ( 10 − 3 ). the volumes or quantities administered were quite small , often consisting of a pill or a drop of the diluted tincture . however , side effects associated with this form of administration caused the characteristic irritated and sore throat associated with cobra venom administration . in conventional western medicine , a defined quantity of a drug is administered to a patient in need thereof . for example , 1 mg of a drug can be given in a volume of 1 ml or 10 ml . in homeopathic medicine , however , the same volume of material is administered , regardless of the dilution factor . furthermore , the dilution factors that used are quite large , ten - fold at a minimum , and more commonly 100 - fold or 1000 - fold in order to reach the exceedingly high dilutions that are routinely used by homeopathic doctors . in the 1800 &# 39 ; s , it would not have been feasible to accurately weigh out the minute quantities of drugs that ended up in the final dilutions given to patients . the only way to obtain such small amounts of the active ingredient was to make progressive ten - fold dilutions , starting with a stock solution of known ( high ) concentration , and repeatedly diluting it . for purposes of comparing the dosages of venom in formulations described in the homeopathic literature of the 1800 &# 39 ; s with venom solutions of today ( which are described in terms of protein concentrations ( e . g . in mg / ml or μg / ml ), the inventor first measured the protein content of raw cobra toxin as it is derived from the snake , and determined it to be about 350 mg / ml . with this information in hand , it was possible to estimate the approximate protein concentration that would be present in a homeopathic remedy prepared from raw venom , in which the starting solution ( i . e ., “ mother tincture ”) has a protein concentration of approximately 350 mg / ml ( table 1 ). serial dilutions such as these did not provide for dilution of cobra venom by a factor of 2 × or 5 ×. it occurred to the inventor , however , that intermediate dilutions , i . e ., greater than undiluted ( referred to as “ mother tincture ” in the homeopathic literature ) but less than ten - fold , might be very useful , if they provided the advantage of arriving at a dose that is therapeutically effective , safe , and lacking in the unpleasant side effects discussed above . with the goal of achieving a standard dose of the active ingredient , the inventor produced a therapeutically effective ( 3 ×) homeopathic dose ( e . g ., 0 . 35 mg in 1 ml , if starting with a mother tincture having a concentration of 350 mg / ml ) that could be administered in dosages such as a single dose in a 10 - fold greater volume , or as 10 4 × doses , or as 100 5 × doses . use of these dilutions might reduce the possibility of experiencing the adverse effects that caused this medication to be abandoned as a potent orally - administered analgesic . tests were therefore conducted as described in the examples below , using several liquid formulations based on homeopathic doses ranging from 2 × to 5 ×. results of clinical testing with human subjects with back pain showed effective reduction of back pain using dilutions of cobra venom stock solutions corresponding to each of these homeopathic doses . positive results were achieved with a minimum of side effects reported previously using other dosage ranges . from the standpoint of modern drug manufacturing , formulations in the 2 × to 5 × range were shown to provide several advantages over prior art formulations . for example , preparing the venom as a diluted liquid solution facilitates the preparation of a sterile product , and easier handling by automated systems . the addition of a suitable edible preservative permits the sterile solution to be dispensed into containers for long - term storage and prevents the solution from becoming adulterated during the period of use . a metered spray or jet permits the venom to be administered as a controlled dose that allows frequent administration with limited esophageal irritation . the formulation and metered dose permits the venom solution to be administered over periods of days to weeks . these formulations may be useful for pain relief in both humans and / or animals . the inventor has also discovered that a certain degree of effectiveness appears to accompany administering the venom to the mucous membranes of the mouth , such as would be achieved by an oral spray . this may also be accomplished , along with the additional benefit of potentially providing modified release compositions , using edible films such as those known to those of skill in the art . such films and dissolvable strips have been made , for example , using pullulan , whey proteins , and other carbohydrates and proteins known to those of skill in the art of pharmaceutical formulation and administration . the invention may be further described by means of the following non - limiting examples . oral administration of a 5 mg / ml (“ homeopathic 1 ×”) sterile cobra venom liquid in subject with chronic back pain from a stock solution of 400 mg / ml of sterile filtered cobra venom , a dilution was prepared by suspending 0 . 125 ml ( 50 mg ) of the stock solution in 10 ml of saline , to reach a final venom concentration of 5 mg / ml . no secussion was required , because it was a final dilution . this dilution is designated herein as a “ homeopathic 1 ×.” however , it is to be noted that the terminology used in this context is not precise with respect to concentration , but rather covers a range of concentrations , because of the historical absence of dilutions of less than tenfold . for example , in classic homeopathy , starting with a mother tincture having a 350 mg / ml protein concentration ( a modern concept not known or incorporated into homeopathic calculations ), there is no intermediate dilution between 1 × ( corresponding to 35 mg / ml ) and 2 × ( corresponding to 0 . 035 mg / ml ). as used herein , any solution having a protein concentration in the range between 35 mg / ml and 0 . 35 mg / ml would described in homeopathic terminology as a “ 1 ×” homeopathic formulation because fractions ( e . g ., 1 . 1 ×, 1 . 2 ×, etc . are not used in homeopathic designations . however , as noted throughout the examples , actual protein concentrations present in the samples are also provided . a subject with chronic back pain was administered the 1 × product prepared as described above , suspended in 10 ml of saline , by mouth . the reported taste was very unpleasant , provoking lacrimation and coughing . the unpleasant aftertaste persisted for some time , accompanied by a slight feeling of nausea , which may have been due to drinking the saline , rather than being attributable to the venom . the subject noted that his throat was tender and had a scratchy feeling similar to that of a sore throat treated with a numbing agent . the subject reported that stiffness in the back was noticeable , but not back pain . the subject also noted eyelids feeling heavy . a slight headache was noted 90 minutes after ingestion of the 1 × solution that persisted for 8 hours . throat symptoms were reported to be back to normal after 4 hours . no intestinal disturbances were reported . oral administration of a 0 . 333 mg / ml (“ homeopathic 3 ×”) sterile cobra venom liquid to a subject from a stock solution of 350 mg / ml of sterile filtered cobra venom , an aliquot of 0 . 143 ml ( 50 mg ) was suspended in 10 ml of purified water ( final concentration 5 mg / ml ) with 1 minute of secussion . this solution was mixed with 140 ml of pure orange juice giving a final concentration of 0 . 333 mg / ml ( equivalent to a homeopathic 3 ×). the formulation as described was administered to a subject with chronic back pain . upon ingestion , the subject reported no adverse effects save for a minor taste sensation in the mouth . none of the side effects traditionally associated with oral venom ingestion — such as esophageal irritation , lacrimation , coryza ( acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavities ; head cold ), or intestinal disturbances were reported . importantly , the same amount of venom drug was delivered ( i . e ., 50 mg ) as in example 1 above , however the volume of liquid was much greater ( 150 ml vs . 10 ml .) this result indicated that the same dosage ( 50 mg venom protein ) that previously caused unacceptable side effects was completely tolerable when delivered in a much higher volume of liquid . oral administration of a 1 mg / ml (“ homeopathic 2 ×”) sterile cobra venom liquid in a subject with chronic back pain the subject with chronic back pain of example 1 was administered 0 . 0125 ml ( 5 mg ) of a 400 mg / ml mother tincture of sterile filtered cobra venom solution , taken orally in ml water ( final concentration 1 mg / ml ). no secussion was required because it was a final dilution . in this example , a 1 × solution would contain 40 mg / ml protein , a 2 × solution would contain 4 mg / ml protein , and a 3 × solution would contain 0 . 4 mg / ml protein . the final solution given to the patient , having an intermediate concentration of 1 mg / ml , which is less than 2 × ( 4 mg / ml ) but greater than 3 × ( 0 . 4 mg / ml ) is designated as being equivalent to a homeopathic 2 × or 1c ). at the time of administration , the subject &# 39 ; s back pain was estimated to be 4 - 5 on a scale of 1 - 10 . the patient reported that the taste of the diluted solution ( as compared with a 1 × solution described in example 1 ) was not nearly as harsh as before , even with the solution being rinsed around in the mouth before swallowing . the subject reported , however , that the taste worsened over time . ninety minutes after administration , the patient reported a pain level of 0 . 5 - 1 , with no adverse effects . second and third administrations of a 5 mg dose at 8 and 24 hours after the first administration resulted in no adverse responses . oral administration of a 0 . 4 mg / ml (“ homeopathic 3 ×”) sterile cobra venom liquid in a subject with chronic back pain a subject , while experiencing back pain at a level of 3 - 4 on a scale of 10 , was administered an oral cobra venom product prepared as described in examples 1 and 2 above , but using a 3 × formulation ( 0 . 4 mg / ml ) in water . more specifically , the oral formulation was prepared by using 0 . 02 ml from a mother tincture of 400 mg / ml ( aliquot thus containing 8 mg venom ). the aliquot was diluted into 20 ml of purified water , yielding a 3 × formulation with a final venom concentration 0 . 4 mg / ml . the subject noted taste deterioration , and throat sensations as described above . a dull headache was noted 90 minutes later . back pain was reduced to 1 to 1 . 5 . twelve hours later , the subject reported that the headache persisted , but the backache was reduced to a pain level of 0 . 5 on a scale of 1 - 10 . second and third doses of the 3 × formulation were taken on the second and third days , respectively . no adverse effects were noted , including absence of the characteristic throat irritation associated with previous homeopathic formulations of cobra toxin . back pain levels were reported to be less than 0 . 5 . no gastrointestinal upset was experienced . oral administration of a 0 . 07 mg / ml (“ homeopathic 4 ×”) sterile cobra venom beverage in a subject with chronic back pain the subject in this example was experiencing back pain at a level reaching 7 - 8 upon standing , and settling in around 5 . a beverage of cobra venom was prepared by adding 0 . 01 ml ( 3 . 5 mg ) of a 350 mg / ml sterile cobra venom “ mother tincture ” solution to purified water containing 5 % pure lime juice , and 0 . 2 % citric acid , made up to a final volume of 50 ml . final concentration of the venom in the beverage solution was 0 . 07 mg / ml . having a final concentration greater than 5 × ( 0 . 0035 mg / ml ), but less than 4 × ( 0 . 035 mg / ml ), this formulation would be designated as within the range of a homeopathic 4 × solution . the subject reported minor irritation to the throat , although it was deemed to possibly have been attributable to either the venom or the lime juice . within 1 hour , the subject &# 39 ; s pain level was reduced to 3 - 4 , and the subject could stand up and sit down easily . the subject was also able to touch his toes easily , which was usually not the case , suggesting some relaxation of muscles . seven hours post administration , the pain level was further reduced to a level of 2 - 3 . the subject also reported a significant improvement in sleep quality . notably , the characteristic headache , typically experienced with the liquid formulations as described in examples 1 - 3 , failed to appear after ingestion of the beverage formulation . no gastrointestinal upset was experienced . pain relief product comprising flavored 0 . 035 mg / ml (“ homeopathic 4 ×”) sterile cobra venom solution in an oral spray dispenser a formulation of sterile cobra venom at “ 4 ×” with citric acid , flavoring and methyl paraben was prepared . to do so , a 2 × dilution was made from a mother tincture solution of 350 mg / ml ( 2 ×= 3 . 5 mg / ml ). to produce a 4 × solution , the 2 × solution was diluted 1 : 100 , to produce a solution with a final venom concentration of 0 . 035 mg / ml . the formulation was filled into bottles to a volume of 20 ml ( final concentration of venom 0 . 035 mg / ml ). in this case , the final protein concentration ( 0 . 035 mg / ml ) corresponded precisely to that calculated according to table 1 for a homeopathic 4 × formulation . bottles were fitted with a pump dispenser configured to deliver 0 . 1 ml of solution per actuation . over the course of two weeks , several such dispensers comprising the flavored sterile cobra venom composition were used to deliver two sprays , four times per day . each spray dose of 0 . 1 ml volume contained 0 . 0035 mg of venom protein . accordingly , a two - spray dose would deliver 0 . 007 mg venom per application ). use of the spray as directed ( two sprays , four times per day ), thus delivers a total dose of 0 . 028 mg of venom per day . at two weeks , a sterility test was conducted on the contents by spreading a 0 . 5 ml volume of the product onto bacterial agar plates . the results showed no growth was observed following three days of incubation . oral administration of 0 . 035 mg / ml (“ homeopathic 4 ×”) sterile cobra venom by oral spray in subjects with chronic back pain a formulation of sterile cobra venom at 4 × homeopathic concentration as described in example 5 was prepared and packaged in pump dispensers . the product was provided to six subjects with various types of chronic pain , with instructions to administer two sprays every 3 - 4 hours daily . in general , a satisfactory reduction in pain was achieved in over 70 % of the subjects . no gastrointestinal upset was reported , although a minor esophageal irritation was experienced , described as a dryness which diminished with continued use . in no case was the esophageal irritation sufficiently uncomfortable to discourage continued use of the pain relief product . oral administration of a 0 . 07 mg / ml (“ 4 ×”) sterile cobra venom by oral spray in subjects with chronic back pain a formulation of cobra venom at 4 × with citric acid , flavoring and methyl paraben was prepared in the manner described in example 5 and packaged in pump dispensers . in this case , however , the final concentration of venom in the spray formulation was 0 . 07 mg / ml . if fractions were permitted , this formulation could be described as equivalent to a “ 3 . 8 ×” homeopathic formulation , as compared with the 4 × formulation of example 7 . this product was provided to 20 subjects with various types of chronic pain , who were instructed to take two sprays every 3 - 4 hours daily . in this group as well , a satisfactory reduction in pain was achieved in over 70 % of the subjects . no gastrointestinal upset was reported , although minor esophageal irritation was experienced , as noted by subjects described in example 6 . oral administration of 0 . 175 mg / ml (“ 4 ×”) sterile cobra venom by oral spray in subjects with chronic back pain a formulation of sterile cobra venom was prepared as described above , this time at the protein concentration of a homeopathic “ 3 . 5 ×” as defined in example 8 . final concentration of venom in this formulation was 0 . 175 mg / ml . the spray formulation included citric acid , flavoring and methyl paraben , and was packaged in pump dispensers . the product was provided to eight subjects with various types of chronic pain . patients were instructed to take two sprays every 3 - 4 hours daily . in this instance , a satisfactory reduction in pain was achieved in over 90 % of the subjects . improved pain response was noted over the previous 4 × formulation . no gastrointestinal upset was reported , although minor esophageal irritation as described above was observed . nevertheless , this irritation was not severe enough to cause the subjects to discontinue use of the product .
a composition of sterile cobra venom and a method for its oral administration to provide significant analgesic effects to a human and / or animal are disclosed . such cobra venom compositions comprise a sterilized solution preserved by the addition of one or more suitable food - grade preservatives . the venom composition may be conveniently administered orally by means of a metered spray device .