A drug for heavy metal poisoning may double as a snakebite treatment

An old drug may find new use as a speedy treatment for venomous snakebites.

The drug, called unithiol, has long been used as a therapy for heavy metal poisoning. Research in mice suggests the drug could block damaging proteins that are found in the venom of many vipers. A recent Phase I clinical trial explored different dosages of the drug in people — larger quantities than are used for metal poisoning — and didn’t find safety issues, researchers report in the March…