Joe Biden’s administration bought $290 million in anti-radiation drugs this week as the president warned of the “prospect of the Apocalypse” being fueled by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed that the key supply of Nplate was part of “ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives after radiological and nuclear emergencies.”
The drug — which can be used in both children and adults — is “approved to treat blood cell injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome [ARS] in adult and pediatric patients.”
Such radiation sickness “occurs when a person’s entire body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation, reaching internal organs within seconds.”
Symptoms of ARS injuries include blood clotting as a result of low platelet counts, which can lead to uncontrolled and life-threatening bleeding.
Nplate, manufactured by California-based Amgen, stimulates the body’s production of platelets “to reduce radiation-induced bleeding.”
The $290 million in funding came from Project BioShield, the 2004 law that provides investments that encourage companies to “develop medical countermeasures that are critical to national security.”
The initial announcement did not detail how — or where — the drugs would be distributed.
Putin has threatened to start a nuclear war over the past few months as his efforts to defeat Ukraine fail. Last month, he said the Kremlin “will certainly use all the means at our disposal” to protect the region.