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Pentagon Signs Deal for Nerve Agent Countermeasure
The U.S. Defense Department could pay a SRI International would develop and produce 90,000 doses of a drug that would be given to soldiers serving in areas considered to be at high risk for a nerve agent attack. The drug would have to be taken prior to exposure. The contract could be worth $85 million over a decade, the time needed to prepare and deliver the drug, said SRI chemical science and technology laboratory chief Robert Wilson. “This is a really important program for us and we’re very excited about the opportunity to help protect soldiers,” he said. The contract is not set in stone. The Pentagon also contracted with Maryland-based PharmAthene for development of an anti-nerve agent drug, the Mercury News reported. Initial testing on both products is expected to take two to three years, after which the Defense Department would select the strongest candidate for continued development. SRI is looking to improve significantly on the drug now used to protect soldiers against the nerve agent soman. Pyridostigmine bromide has been linked to diarrhea, headaches, dizziness and other side effects (Steve Johnson, San Jose Mercury News, March 20). The Pentagon has also approved military purchases of a skin decontaminant that could be used to remove or neutralize chemical agents, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News reported yesterday. New York-based manufacturer E-Z-EM said its RSDL product has previously been adopted by the military services of several nations (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, March 20).
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