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Sign of the times? US stocks up on Amgen's radiation sickness drug Nplate

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/sign-times-us-stocks-amgens-radiation-sickness-drug-nplate

(Note: No PLURI drug stockpiling as previously hinted, wink-wink)

By Fraiser KansteinerOct 5, 2022 11:09am

In what could be a troubling sign of the times, the United States is stocking up on radiation sickness drugs.

Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it’s throwing down $290 million to lock up an undisclosed amount of Amgen’s blood disorder med Nplate, which is approved to treat blood cell injuries linked to acute radiation syndrome (ARS) in kids and adults.

ARS, also known as radiation sickness, occurs when a person’s body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation, which is capable of “reaching internal organs in a matter of seconds,” HHS explained in a release. ARS injuries can lead to symptoms such as impaired blood clotting from low platelet counts, which can trigger uncontrolled and potentially “life-threatening” bleeds.

The Amgen drug is otherwise approved for kids and adults with the blood disorder immune thrombocytopenia, which causes patients to suffer from low platelet counts.