A review of radiation countermeasure work ongoing at the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute

Purpose: The hazard of exposure to ionizing radiation is a serious public and military health concern that has justified substantial efforts to develop medically effective radiation countermeasure approaches, including radiation protectors, mitigators, and therapeutics. Although such efforts were initiated more than half a century ago, no safe and effective radiation countermeasure has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the acute radiation syndrome. This situation has prompted intensified research among government laboratories, academic institutions, and pharmaceutical companies to identify a new generation of countermeasures. In this communication we discuss selected promising radiation countermeasures at advanced stages of development. Conclusion: Other than granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, which has an Emergency Use Investigational New Drug (IND) status, four countermeasures have FDA IND status and other promising countermeasures are in development. Here we review primarily the in vivo efficacy of selected countermeasures in animal models and clinical studies.