It is a biological product that typically consists of venom neutralizing antibodies derived from a host animal, such as a horse or sheep.

The donor animal is hyperimmunized with non-lethal doses of one or more venoms to produce a neutralizing antibody response.

If the antivenom contains neutralizing antibodies raised against two or more species of snakes, then the composition is considered polyvalent.

For instance, Antivipmyn (Instituto Bioclon) is made from the venoms of Crotalus durissus and Bothrops asper.

[6] When weighed against profitability (especially for sale in poorer regions), the result is that many snake antivenoms, world-wide, are very expensive.

[needs update][8][9] Foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers have produced other coral snake antivenoms, but the costs of licensing them in the United States have stalled availability.

[9] As of 2016[update], the Venom Immunochemistry, Pharmacology and Emergency Response (VIPER) institute of the University of Arizona College of Medicine was enrolling participants in a clinical trial of INA2013, a "novel antivenom," according to the Florida Poison Information Center.