Dual Formulation of Atropine and Scopolamine with Enhanced Stability

The standard US military treatment for nerve agent exposure is application of up to three autoinjectors, each containing atropine sulfate and 2-pralidoxime, to counteract symptoms of nerve agent intoxication and restore acetylcholinesterase activity. This treatment increases survival rates after nerve agent exposure, however, seizures resulting from nerve agent poisoning are a common symptom that can prolong recovery and reduce survival rates. The motion-sickness drug scopolamine hydrobromide, has been demonstrated as an effective treatment for reducing seizures and enhancing survival and recovery from nerve agent exposure. A single autoinjector with a combined formulation of atropine and scopolamine would be extremely beneficial to our warfighters and first responders; however, a stable dual formulation of atropine and scopolamine has not been demonstrated. We propose to develop stable dual formulations of atropine sulfate and scopolamine hydrobromide. The dual formulations containing both drugs will be stable for a minimum of 2 years with a volume of 2 mL or less.