OUR MISSION

To be one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in the world in the development of antivenoms and venom-derived biotechnological products

Venoms are centrifuged cold, frozen and lyophilized immediately after extraction. The dried venom is packed and stored in darkness at -20°C.Venoms can be pooled or collected from individual specimens and processing can be adjusted to meet any research needs.

Venoms advertised are most often currently in stock. Depending on the species, stock quantities normally range from mg to gram quantities.

The Lebanese Venom Company is dedicated to conservation and in all possible instances builds colonies of scorpions from captive born stock either produced in house.

LVC maintains a staff of highly trained and experienced care technicians with ample work experience on venomous scorpions. LVC distributes venoms and venom products worldwide to researchers, universities, private laboratories, and pharmaceutical companies and is committed to producing quality venoms in quantity to meet the needs of these entities.

Scorpions species in our laboratory

How does scorpion venom work?

Scorpion venoms are a complex cocktail of toxic components mainly targeting excitable and immunological cells of preys and predators. Low molecular mass scorpion toxins alter the gating of a vast number of tissue-specific ion channels, producing sustained depolarization, release of neurotransmitters and inflammatory mediators that work synergistically to deter victims or foes. Other components, such as hyaluronidases and metalloproteases facilitate distribution of low molecular mass toxins during the envenomation process.

What is scorpion venom used for?

Venomsas Medicines. Researchers have had success, for example, in using scorpion venom-derived molecules to treat brain tumors in humans. Instead of causing harm to healthy nerve and muscle cells, toxins such as chlorotoxin can be used to block signals from cancer cells. Blocking these signals prevents them from invading neighboring tissues.

How many Scorpions are there in the world?

There are approximately 2,140 extant (Recent) scorpion species contained within 14-18 families, organized in 6superfamilies distributed across several continents.

How many Scorpions are deadly to humans?

Only about 30 to 40 species have a venom capable of killing a human being.

What do scorpions eat?

Scorpions will eat spiders, scorpions, insects and even lizards. They will also prey upon small mammals like mice. Scorpions need water, but they are able to survive months without food.

Scorpions will use their pincers to capture preys and then crush them. They will use their stingers to inject venom into their victims or predators. Because of this, the prey will become paralyzed, which facilitates digestion. Sometimes the scorpions will kill their prey without injecting venom.

Scorpion activity

Scorpions are mainly active at night, although they may be seen during the day at moist and cool places. Scorpions will prey on spiders, insects and other types of invertebrates. They will be able to detect the prey by sensing the vibrations of their prey as they move using chemo- and mechanoreceptors.

Scorpions are known for hiding and waiting for their prey. If the prey is small enough, they will crush it or if it is larger, they will inject it venom. Once they have their prey subdued, they will then begin to digest it. The scorpion can only ingest liquids; because of this, they will discard solid matter after they feed.