The US Department of Defense has awarded Battelle a $53-million contract to develop a nerve agent countermeasure solution for soldiers.
For the initiative, the firm will create a Reactivating Nerve Agent Treatment System (RNATS) to “enhance the current standard of care” for troops and increase their survivability in chemical warfare.
Battelle’s Ohio-based subsidiary CMC Pharmaceuticals will lead the technology’s laboratory production, Good Manufacturing Practice testing, and Contract Manufacturing Organization oversight.
The resulting treatment from the 6.5-year effort is planned to receive Food and Drug Administration approval once completed.
The RNATS Solution
The reactivators incorporated into the RNATS will disrupt the effects of toxic agents by “setting on” the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme, which is an integral part of the human body’s naturally-occurring neurotransmitters.
These neurotransmitters relay signals between neurons, glands, muscle cells, and the brain.
The RNATS technology will be sealed in a vial and be made available for the US military and its allies, the companies noted.
“Our expertise and vast breadth of knowledge in drug product development and manufacturing is a crucial component of this important program,” CMC Pharmaceuticals President Mike Radomsky stated.
“We are excited to begin work with Battelle and the DOD on this program and are honored that our team will help deliver an improved therapeutic to our troops against the threat of nerve agents.”
Expanding CBRN Medical Countermeasures
The Pentagon first revealed the RNATS strategy during a medical countermeasure convention in November 2023.
The event discussed and demonstrated various approaches that could potentially secure the servicemen’s health across the spectrum of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) warfare.
