These are the drugs that only DOE "owned" for a long time. It really seems like a miracle that it will now be available via prescription to doctors and their patients in the USA. Before, patients had to go out of the country to be chelated for Uranium and Plutonium.

-- Janet Michel

FDA Approves Dirty Bomb Antidotes

.c The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration approved two new products Wednesday designed to help deal with the consequences of terrorists using

dirty bombs.

Acting FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford told The Associated Press that

the products, to be available by prescription only, are designed to speed up

elimination of radiation from the body.

Dirty bombs have become an increasing concern. Unlike warheads designed to kill and destroy through a huge nuclear blast and heat, so-called dirty bombs are radiation weapons. They would rely on conventional explosives to blow radioactive material far and wide. A successful bomb could make a section of a city uninhabitable for years.

The agency said the goal is to provide protection from both nuclear accidents and threats. It said the two drugs are safe and effective for treating contamination from the elements plutonium, americium or curium.

The FDA said that while these drugs have been in use on an experimental

basis for several years, until this action there have been no approved drugs for

treatment of internal contamination by the three radioactive elements.

Plutonium, americium or curium can enter the body through a variety of routes including ingestion, inhalation or direct contact through wounds. By removing them quickly the victim may avoid possible future effects including the development of certain cancers, which may occur years after exposure, FDA said.

Approved were:

Penetate calcium trisodium injection, Ca-DTPA.

Penetate Zinc trisodium injection, Zn-DTPA.

On the Net:

http://www.fda.gov/