16th Question of the Day: Anyone in the U.S. testing for cobra venom doping compounded drugs in horses?

New test for cobra venom doping

It is not uncommon for sports stars to be given drugs so they can play even though they may be struggling with an injury. The same can happen to horses in the racing industry. However, in the racing industry the use of some substances is illegal. Unscrupulous trainers may even use snake venom that cannot be easily detected.
But detection is becoming easier. A South Australian company, Venom Science Pty Ltd, in association with UniSA has recently created a testing kit that will now make it possible to test for one of those illegal substances – cobra venom. UniSA Research Fellows Peter Mirtschin (also Managing Director of Venom Supplies) and Frank Madaras (also Director of Venom Science Pty Ltd) are the creators of the innovative kit.
Until now it has not been possible to easily screen horses for cobra venom doping. The source of the illegal venom is unknown but it is readily available from countries such as China where large quantities are produced each year.
Mirtschin says the problem is probably most prevalent in the US racing industry but also affects the Middle East, Singapore and France. The extent of its use in Australia is unknown.
"If an expensive horse has a bit of lameness – enough to stop them from being able to race – there are people who would rather mask the horse’s pain so they can still race," Mirtschin says.
"Pulling a horse out of a race can be very expensive, so people are willing to take the risk."
And that risk might involve giving the horse a dose of snake venom so it can still race.
"The venom testing kit we have created gives a rapid detection method when putting a sample of horse blood through it," Madaras says.
At the time of going to print, the venom testing kit was going through its own testing process, with plans to have it on the market next year.
The venom testing kit was born from what Mirtschin says was his own "left field idea" and then Madaras applied some "quite ingenious scientific tricks" to produce a very effective kit that identifies all the important toxins in cobra venom.
It has already been sought after by a number of comp- anies and a government organisation overseas.
Michael Venning from UniSA’s School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences has also kept a close eye on progress in developing the testing kit and has helped facilitate the use of some equipment needed, and provided advice on analgesia aspects.
The test was developed using horse antibodies against cobra venom, which bind to venom in blood samples taken routinely from horses. 
quoted from here