The US government is looking to buy 290 million of an anti-radiation drug
The US government, through its own official body, has decided to buy 290 million dollars of a drug that should reduce radiation damage, especially in children. Here is an excerpt from the press release of the Health and Human service
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2022
Contact the HHS Press Office
202-821-9446
[email protected]
www.hhs.gov/news
Twitter: @HHSgov
HHS buys a drug for use in radiological and nuclear emergencies
As part of an ongoing and longstanding commitment to be better prepared to save lives in radiological and nuclear emergencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is purchasing a supply of the drug Nplate from Amgen USA Inc. , approved for the treatment of blood cell injuries accompanying acute radiation syndrome in adult and pediatric patients (ARS).
Amgen, based in Thousands Oaks, Calif., Developed Nplate for ARS with support from the Authority for Advanced Research and Biomedical Development (BARDA), part of the Strategic Preparation and Response Administration (ASPR) of the HHS, as well as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.
To purchase this drug supply, BARDA is using the authority conferred on it by the Project Bioshield Act of 2004 and $ 290 million in funding designated by Project BioShield. Amgen will maintain this supply in supplier-managed inventory. This approach reduces lifecycle management costs for taxpayers, as near-maturity doses can be rotated in the commercial market for quick use before maturity and new doses can be added to the government supply.
ARS, also known as radiation sickness, occurs when a person's entire body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation, which reaches internal organs within seconds. Symptoms of radiation injuries include impaired blood clotting due to low platelet counts, which can lead to uncontrolled and life-threatening bleeding.
To reduce radiation-induced bleeding, Nplate stimulates the body's production of platelets. The drug can be used for the treatment of adults and children.
Nplate is also approved for adult and pediatric patients with immune thrombocytopenia, a blood disorder involving a low number of platelets. Repurposing acute radiation syndrome medications that are also approved for a commercial indication helps support product availability and improves healthcare practitioners' familiarity with the drug.
Officially this purchase is NOT related to the war in Ukraine, but it would be part of the continuous process of updating preventive procedures for any problems related to radiation leaks or nuclear accidents, but it is curious that this happens right now, just after the threats of use of the nuclear weapons by Putin. Don't they know more than us?
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The article The US government is trying to buy 290 million of an anti-radiation drug comes from ScenariEconomici.it .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/il-governo-usa-sta-cercando-di-comprare-290-milioni-di-un-farmaco-anti-radiazioni/ on Thu, 06 Oct 2022 17:15:58 +0000.