The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it spent $ 290 million to purchase a drug to treat nuclear radiation sickness in the event of nuclear emergency. In a statement released Tuesday, the department’s strategic preparedness and response department announced that it has acquired Nplate from Amgen USA Inc “as part of a longstanding effort to better prepare to save lives in the event of radiological and nuclear emergencies. “.
Acute radiation syndrome, caused by exposure to a high dose of radiation, can cause a variety of symptoms. Severe cases can have devastating effects on the body, including bone marrow destruction and the cause of internal bleeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The drug Nplate, which can be used for both adults and children, aims to reduce the bleeding often caused by radiation.
The Food and Drug Administration first approved the drug in 2008 to combat the autoimmune disease that causes dangerous bleeding and extended another approval in January last year for the drug’s use as radiation therapy.
The new agreement comes in the wake of growing international concern over the potential use of nuclear weapons in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
And Russian President Vladimir Putin recently threatened that his country would take all necessary measures for victory and would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons.
The Ukrainian capital, Kiev, and evacuation centers are preparing with potassium iodine pills, which can help prevent radiation absorption and prepare for a possible nuclear attack on the city.
US officials stressed that Washington would take decisive action if Russia moved to use nuclear weapons and warned of the dire consequences for Putin.
Last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the “end of the era of nuclear blackmail” and the global elimination of nuclear weapons to prevent the “destruction of humanity”.
