i just read and copied this from reptiles magazine.
"Every three minutes someone in the U.S. dies of a stroke, and every 45 seconds, someone suffers a non-fatal stroke. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel connected to the brain is either blocked or ruptured. Paralysis, death, and speech and sight impairments are the most common results. The effects of a stroke can be minimized, however, particularly when a vessel is blocked, if a stroke victim receives treatment shortly after the onset of the condition. Snake venom research is leading to the development of a drug, which if approved by the FDA in 2008, would greatly expand the window of treatment for stroke victims from three to six hours. Developed by Neurobiological Technologies Inc., this new drug, called Viprinex, is derived from the venom of the Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma)"
the website for this is http://ntii.com/products/viprinex.shtml
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