US Buys Drugs To Treat Radiation Sickness
(ConservativeHub.com) – The US government stockpiles various items, like oil, in case of major emergencies when critical products may not be available from the usual sources or in the desired quantities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does this with medical supplies. The agency issued a press release revealing it bought $290 million worth of a drug that doctors use to treat acute radiation syndrome (ARS) in patients.
The HHS announcement of the enormous purchase of Nplate, a pharmaceutical developed by Amgen USA Inc to treat ARS, comes just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin made veiled threats of using nuclear weapons in his war in Ukraine or against anyone who tries to stop it. Despite the timing, HHS told Americans in the announcement that its move was “part of long-standing, ongoing efforts” to prepare the nation for a nuclear disaster.
US purchases $290 million of drug for use in radiological and nuclear emergencies https://t.co/SJuSFuZPCB pic.twitter.com/X8lUAYgxdG
— The Hill (@thehill) October 7, 2022
While this is a lot of taxpayer dollars to spend on something that may not happen, the news release emphasized by allowing Amgen USA to store the medicine, it can rotate the drugs through the commercial sector as they get close to expiring, significantly reducing the cost of keeping this medicine in our national stockpile.
Nplate treats both adults and children experiencing a disorder related to low platelet counts, but doctors can repurpose the drug to treat victims suffering from intense radiation poisoning, which can damage internal organs in just seconds. Now, should Americans ever need to use it, the nation can be better prepared.
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