Dermal Medical Countermeasures for Chemical Weapons Exposure

Chemical warfare agents (CWAs), such as nerve agents and mustard agents, pose serious threats to our warfighters and civilians. Current formulations of dermal medical countermeasures to CWAs can be absorbed through the skin causing systemic toxicities to the patients. These formulations are limited by the FDA for use only in small area of intact skin. This severely restricts the usefulness of these counter measures since warfighters may be exposed over large regions of the body including areas with wounds or skin abrasions. We have developed new formulations of dermal medical countermeasures that effectively neutralize CWAs on the skin while not being absorbed through the skin and causing systemic toxicity. The new countermeasure formulations will treat injuries resulting from cutaneous exposure to CWAs up to 50% of the skin surface, including wounded regions and regions containing hair follicles. In addition, the new formulations will be more cost-effective than current formulations and have improved shelf stability under various environmental conditions.