In a move likely to secure its place as a leading provider of medical radiation countermeasures, Humanetics Corporation today announced that it has secured exclusive worldwide licenses to two new treatments that provide short and long-term post-exposure protection from ionizing radiation acquired during a terrorist act, nuclear or radiological attack or accident, as part of cancer radiotherapy or even during routine diagnostic CT scans.
“There is nothing approved today to treat large numbers of military or civilians exposed to ionizing radiation during a terrorist attack or other radiological event”
The agreement with Henry Ford Health System in Detroit gives Humanetics the ability to develop and market two medical radiation countermeasures that can be used after exposure to both lethal and non-lethal levels of ionizing radiation. One is effective within 24 hours of exposure; the other is effective more than 24 hours after a radiological event. Humanetics also holds the exclusive worldwide license to BIO 300, another medical radiation countermeasure that is effective if administered before exposure.
Today's announcement makes Humanetics unique in its ability to offer medical solutions to protect large population groups both before and after a radiological event. The Company said that its goal is to cover treatment of radiation exposure using multiple treatment options—each of which may be better suited for a particular situation.
"There is nothing approved today to treat large numbers of military or civilians exposed to ionizing radiation during a terrorist attack or other radiological event," said Ronald Zenk, President and CEO of Humanetics Corporation. "These discoveries by Henry Ford are especially important since most nuclear events are unexpected, therefore making the need for post-exposure treatments that much more desirable and urgent. These therapeutic agents could easily be included in U.S. military backpacks and provide protection to our troops either shortly after exposure to radiation, or even days later if the situation warrants. Medical radiation countermeasures that are effective when given over 24 hours after exposure have numerous potential applications, including treatment after intentional or accidental nuclear events, treatment of unexpected complications after medical radiotherapy and the treatment of potential delayed effects of radiation exposure," he explained.
During a radiological event, large population groups can be exposed to high and potentially lethal levels of ionizing radiation, creating a serious illness called Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). ARS occurs when the body receives a high dose of full body ionizing radiation, usually over a short period of time. ARS affects multiple organ systems with profound effects on the rapidly dividing cells of the bone marrow and intestinal tract, with further later-stage effects to the lungs and other vital organs. The chance of survival for people with ARS decreases with increasing radiation exposure.
The primary role of Humanetics' new treatments will be for ARS and another condition that develops from non-lethal partial body exposure to ionizing radiation called Delayed Effects of Acute Radiation Exposure (DEARE.) This condition includes an array of disease states that occur later on and can lead to pulmonary injury including pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis months after exposure, often with a fatal outcome. The new treatment for short-term protection would be particularly effective with DEARE, Humanetics said.
Dr. John Zenk, Chief Medical Officer at Humanetics, said both new treatments would likely be available in pill form so that they could be easily stockpiled by local and federal authorities and distributed quickly to affected population groups by local pharmacies or through the U.S. Postal Service.
Researchers in the Henry Ford Department of Radiation Oncology developed the new treatments in their pre-clinical cancer studies. Under the leadership of department chairman Benjamin Movsas, M.D., the researchers identified and are patenting these new treatments to repair damage to healthy tissues caused by radiation. For well over a decade, the Henry Ford Department of Radiation Oncology has aggressively pursued strategies to reduce normal tissue radiation injury. For example, Dr. Movsas was the principal investigator of the largest national randomized study of a radioprotector, called amifostine, to reduce radiation injury in lung cancer patients.
Recognizing the potential of Henry Ford's preclinical studies, Humanetics approached Henry Ford about licensing the treatments for medical radiation countermeasures. "We are excited about our collaboration with Humanetics to continue to develop agents that protect and repair normal tissues from the damage caused by ionizing radiation. In addition, we hope to bring this exciting strategy into the clinic to ultimately help patients undergoing radiation therapy," said Dr. Movsas, the Herndon Chair in Oncology Research.
Humanetics to Also Focus on Radiation from CT Scans
Another priority for Humanetics will be to expand the application of its medical radiation countermeasures to include protection for those receiving a diagnostic CT scan. The company announced in March that it would develop an application of its BIO 300 for patients to take in advance of CT scans. This treatment would add another layer of protection for the millions of patients who require CT scans.
There are 62 million CT scans performed in the United States every year. Recent studies have found that patients may receive far more radiation from many common diagnostic CT procedures than previously believed. According to earlier reports in USA Today, these scans may cause 29,000 new cancers a year as well as 14,500 deaths.
Humanetics will begin efficacy studies on the new treatments immediately.
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