The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week that the Biden administration agency has procured $290 million worth of a drug used to counter negative health outcomes that result from nuclear emergencies — that is, a nuclear attack or accident.
A press release from HHS' Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) says the purchase is "part of long-standing, ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives following radiological and nuclear emergencies," though it offered no explanation for why the supplies were being purchased at this time.
Today, we purchased a supply of @Amgen’s Nplate, a drug to combat the effects of acute radiation sickness after radiological or nuclear emergencies. For more about how we leverage existing technology & inventory management practices to ensure preparedness: https://t.co/bsgRz74Izx pic.twitter.com/hox1yTSpzP
— BARDA (@BARDA) October 4, 2022
The drug, "Nplate" is produced by Amgen USA Inc and "is approved to treat blood cell injuries that accompany acute radiation syndrome [ARS] in adult and pediatric patients." ARS "occurs when a person’s entire body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation, reaching internal organs in a matter of seconds" that can cause "impaired blood clotting as a result of low platelet counts, which can lead to uncontrolled and life-threatening bleeding."
Nplate works by stimulating an individual's platelet production to improve clotting and hopefully prevent hemorrhaging and reduce radiation-induced bleeding. It was previously created by Amgen with the support of the federal government via the "Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), as well as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [led by Dr. Anthony Fauci since 1984], part of the National Institutes of Health."
The drug was approved by the FDA in January 2021 for use in people suffering from acute radiation syndrome following "a nuclear explosion, an accident at a nuclear reactor, a radiotherapy accident, or the escape of radioactive waste."
The Biden administration's purchase of the radiation treatment drug comes under "authority provided under the 2004 Project Bioshield Act" and was paid for with "$290 million in Project BioShield designated funding to purchase this supply of the drug."
The purchase of millions of dollars-worth of anti-radiation drugs comes as tensions continue to run high in Europe between Russia and Ukraine as some war watchers speculate that Putin may escalate to using some form of nuclear weapon in retaliation for recent losses his forces suffered at the hands of Ukrainian soldiers. Meanwhile, China's aggression toward Taiwan continues to increase — along with threats from CCP mouthpieces against senior U.S. officials — and Biden's attempt to secure a new nuclear deal with Iran falls apart as North Korea fires missiles over Japan.