Biden buys $290 million worth of radiation drugs

U.S. Bought $290 Million in Anti-Radiation Drugs Amid Putin's Nuclear Threats

The Biden administration bought $290 million worth of anti-radiation drugs this week after the U.S. president warned of the "prospect of Armageddon" brought on by Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

The Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that the increased supply of Nplate is part of "ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives after radiological and nuclear emergencies."

The drug, which can be used in children and adults, is "approved for the treatment of blood cell damage that accompanies acute radiation syndrome (ARS) in adult and pediatric patients," the department said in the statement. Tuesday's announcement.

Today, we purchased a supply of @Amgen’s Nplate, a drug to combat the effects of acute radiation sickness after radiological or nuclear emergencies. For more about how we leverage existing technology & inventory management practices to ensure preparedness: https://t.co/bsgRz74Izx pic.twitter.com/hox1yTSpzP

— BARDA (@BARDA) October 4, 2022

The acquisition of these drugs is due to fears that Russia is planning a major nuclear test near the border with Ukraine.

Nplate, produced by California-based Company Amgen, stimulates the body's platelet production "to reduce radiation-induced bleeding."

The $290 million in funding came from Project BioShield, the 2004 law requiring investments that encourage companies to "develop medical countermeasures critical to national security."

"We haven't addressed the perspective of Armageddon since (President John F.) Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962)," the president warned at a fundraiser in New York for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. .