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. 2023 Dec 18;29:e20230057. doi: 10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2023-0057

Figure 3. Characteristics of selected therapeutic agents that could potentially be used for the development of new types of antivenom products, including their structures, molecular weights, and important therapeutic properties. The Harvey balls visually illustrate the theoretical favorability of each property, represented by the dark blue area, and based on the professional, yet arguably subjective, expert evaluation by the authors. It is essential to acknowledge that the Harvey balls are meant to capture the general characteristics of each type of molecular scaffold/class and may not apply to specific molecular agents within each class, which could have properties that deviate from the mean. Versatility indicates the ability to neutralize different types of toxins, while engineerability refers to the ease of modifying molecules from the class to achieve specific properties or functions, such as half-life extension. Specificity refers to the ability to selectively interact with a specific target, thereby minimizing off-target effects (unintended interactions that could lead to undesired effects). Half-life represents the time it takes for half of the administered therapeutic agent to be cleared from the body. Tissue penetration denotes the capability of effectively reaching and binding to target toxins in tissues, including deep tissues and various organs. Shelf-life indicates how long an agent maintains its activity under cool storage conditions. Affordability highlights the cost-effectiveness of the therapeutic agent. Safety is deliberately not included, although it is an essential therapeutic property, as this should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for each specific molecule in a class. The figures were created with BioRender.com, and the structure of Varespladib corresponds to PubChem CID 155815. The size of the molecules is not drawn to scale.

Figure 3.