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Pera and Costa Rica Universities join to set up reptile anti-venom plant
View(s):Peradeniya University and the University of Costa Rica are to team up with two international institutes to set up a reptile anti-venom plant costing over a billion rupees in Sri Lanka.
Prof. Indika Gawarammana addressing the gathering
Peradeniya University Vice Chancellor Professor Upul Dissanayake said this project is in collaboration with the Institute Clodomiro Picado of the Universtiy of Costa Rica and Anti Venom Research International based in the USA.
The anti-venom plant is to be set up with clinical trials expected to commence in January 2016, project head Professor Indika Gawarammana of the Medical Faculty of Peradeniya University said.
Professor Upul Dissanayake said over 40,000 people have been treated with the anti-venom brought from India.
He said that it had been found that this vaccine was not effective sometimes and there had been no clinical trials over the years when this anti-venom was first introduced into the country about five decades ago.
Pera University Vice Chancellor Professor Upul Dissanayake addressing the gathering
Furthermore, for the past four years a team of specialists headed by Professor Indika Gawarammana had been working with the University of Costa Rica and had established a sepentarium at Dambulla under the Veterinary Faculty, where Dr. Asoka Dangolla is assisting the project while being in charge of the sepentarium.