University awarded $2.5m for cyanide antidote research
$2.5m, 5-year grant by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to
research antidotes for cyanide poisoning, improving on current
antidotes that are slow acting.
The award will go towards funding studies aims to expand the efficiency, bioavailability, and physical properties of a cyanide antidote as well as seeking out specific substances to improve the neurological problems for long-term survivors of acute cyanide poisoning.
In addition, the University hope to begin preclinical studies that will lead to filing an application with the FDA for an investigational new drug (IND).
Cyanide poisoning has the potential to be an intentional threat, as a weapon of mass destruction, or an accidental threat, through laboratory exposure, medical crisis, or smoke inhalation of fire victims.
There are currently treatments that can be used to fight cyanide poisoning. Not only are they slow acting and can also have serious complications.
The US Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defence says that in order to effectively intervene in cyanide poisoning, a fast acting "three-minute solution" is necessary.
One goal of better treatments is to produce a phophylactic agent that can be taken before the threat of a cyanide attack.
Treatment of poisoning and antidotes is a very hit-and-miss procedure, often patient specific with no guarantees of recovery.
The US standard cyanide antidote kit uses a small inhaled dose of amyl nitrite, followed by intravenous sodium nitrite, followed by intravenous sodium thiosulfate.
Alternative methods of treating cyanide intoxication are used in other countries. For example, in France hydroxycobalamin is used to bind cyanide to form the harmless vitamin B12a cyanocobalamin.
This treatment is considered so effective and innocuous that it is administered routinely in Paris to victims of smoke inhalation to detoxify any associated cyanide intoxication. However it is relatively expensive and not universally available.
4-Dimethylaminophenol (4-DMAP) has been proposed in Germany as a more rapid antidote than nitrites with (reportedly) lower toxicity. 4-DMAP is used currently by the German military and by the civilian population.
