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Posted: Mar 29, 2022 6:25 AM CDT
By Parija Kavilanz
... The company (Partner Therapeutics) said it is helping to ramp up supply in Europe of Leukine, a drug to treat acute radiation syndrome (ACS), or radiation sickness from exposure to high dose radiation during a nuclear emergency.
Leukine is more widely and consistently used to reduce the incidence of severe and life-threatening infections in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy as part of their treatment.
But the injectable medication can also be administered as a life-saving measure for patients exposed to dangerous levels of radiation outside of medical treatment: The drug can increase the chances of survivability if given in the critical 48 to 96 hours after initial exposure to a high dose of radiation from a nuclear blast or nuclear fallout.
Leukine isn't the only drug to treat acute radiation exposure in the United States. Three other drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose: Amgen's Neupogen, Neulasta, and NPlate. Amgen did not respond to requests for comment about whether the company is increasing supplies of its acute radiation exposure treatment drugs.
Partner Therapeutics, has been closely monitoring the ongoing destruction and destabilization in Ukraine and the heightened vulnerability of Ukraine's nuclear power plants to a Russian attack. The company has been in contact with the World Health Organization and other NGOs to inform them about the drug.
"We knew in this situation we can't directly contact the government of Ukraine. So we've reached to WHO to offer the drug on a humanitarian basis if it's needed," said John McManus, Partner Therapeutics' chief business officer. ...
By Parija Kavilanz
... The company (Partner Therapeutics) said it is helping to ramp up supply in Europe of Leukine, a drug to treat acute radiation syndrome (ACS), or radiation sickness from exposure to high dose radiation during a nuclear emergency.
Leukine is more widely and consistently used to reduce the incidence of severe and life-threatening infections in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy as part of their treatment.
But the injectable medication can also be administered as a life-saving measure for patients exposed to dangerous levels of radiation outside of medical treatment: The drug can increase the chances of survivability if given in the critical 48 to 96 hours after initial exposure to a high dose of radiation from a nuclear blast or nuclear fallout.
Leukine isn't the only drug to treat acute radiation exposure in the United States. Three other drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose: Amgen's Neupogen, Neulasta, and NPlate. Amgen did not respond to requests for comment about whether the company is increasing supplies of its acute radiation exposure treatment drugs.
Partner Therapeutics, has been closely monitoring the ongoing destruction and destabilization in Ukraine and the heightened vulnerability of Ukraine's nuclear power plants to a Russian attack. The company has been in contact with the World Health Organization and other NGOs to inform them about the drug.
"We knew in this situation we can't directly contact the government of Ukraine. So we've reached to WHO to offer the drug on a humanitarian basis if it's needed," said John McManus, Partner Therapeutics' chief business officer. ...
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