Therapeutic Agent for Mustard Gas Injuries

A post-injury agent for treating skin and eye injuries by mustard gas is being developed by Quick-Med Technologies, Inc. (Gainesville, FL, USA) in collaboration with the US Army.

Mustard gas, also called sulfur mustard, is one of the oldest chemical weapons. Threat assessment by the US Army considers sulfur mustard the most likely agent to be used by terrorists or foreign governments due to its low cost to produce, store, and dispense. Quick-Med has completed phase I and phase II clinical safety data studies for related ocular conditions and expects to acquire that data soon, as well as formulation analyses for the skin and eyes, and the results of efficacy experiments being conducted in laboratories in Israel and The Netherlands. The compound being used by Quick-Med is called Ilomastat.

"Quick-Med has an excellent opportunity to provide an important new drug to military and civil defense organizations worldwide. It will fill a major void in our preparedness against chemical and biologic attacks,” said Major General George Friel, a director of Quick-Med, who formerly headed the Nuclear, Chemical, and Biologic Defense Command for the US Army.





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