Countervail Corporation 1 Greentree Center
DR. EDSON ALBUQUERQUE TO PRESENT RESEARCH DATA SUPPORTING USE OF GALANTAMINE AS A NOVEL NERVE GAS ANTIDOTE COUNTERMEASURE AT BARDA INDUSTRY DAY
Washington DC, Thursday, August 2, 2007 – Countervail Corporation announces that Dr. Edson
Albuquerque, Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapy at the University of
Maryland School of Medicine, will give an oral presentation entitled, ”Galantamine: A Novel Medical Countermeasure Against Organophosphorus Poisoning” at the Biomedical Advanced
Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Industry Day on August 3, 2007 in Washington,
D.C. This event provides a forum for companies to demonstrate technological advances in bio-
medical countermeasures to man made and naturally occurring threats such as pandemic
influenza that will contribute to government programs such as BARDA, Project Bioshield and
the HHS Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) Strategy
for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats.
Countervail Corporation has obtained the license for the exclusive development and
commercialization rights from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, for the use of galantamine
that can protect against the effects of some of the most dangerous and feared chemical agents and
EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE LICENSE FOR GALANTAMINE
insecticide poisons. Agents most feared to be used as possible weapons of mass destruction
(Soman, Sarin and VX gas) are based on organophosphates (OP). In addition many commercial
pesticides are based on organophosphates due to their effectiveness and low cost.
Galantamine has been shown, in original studies carried out by Dr. Edson X. Albuquerque and
collaborators at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and at the US Army Medical
Research Institute of Chemical Defense, to protect against OP poisoning by acting on important
sites within the central nervous system. The limitations of available therapies against OP
poisoning are recognized and more effective antidotes are needed. When compared to other
antidotes currently available, studies initially funded by the Department of Defense and by the
National Institutes of Health CounterACT Program through the National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke indicate that galantamine provides effective and safe
protection when taken prior to or just after exposure to OP toxins. There is further evidence that
Galantamine provides an added protection against long-term brain damage induced by OPs, a
key concern of OP poisoning. Galantamine has been used in humans for decades and has been
FDA approved for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
The market opportunity for an improved agent against OP poisoning is significant. The risk of
nerve gas use as a terrorist weapon is of real concern. Recent events of nerve gas use include the
Gulf War, Saddam Hussein’s use on the Iranians and Kurds and the attack in a Japanese civilian
subway station. Key segments that would benefit from a superior OP prophylactic/antidote are
US and NATO military personnel, civilian populations and first responder personnel. Also
considering that approximately 70% of pesticides used worldwide are organophosphate based,
agricultural applications could include prophylactic protection of farm workers and as an
antidote in acute OP pesticide poisoning.
EXCLUSIVE WORLDWIDE LICENSE FOR GALANTAMINE
Countervail Corporation is a US company focused on the protection of our Military and Civilian
populations from chemical and biological weapons.
For additional information please contact:
Bill Basinger [740-591-2848, BBasinger@CountervailCorp.com]
Ron Lynch [856-424-7763, RonLynch@CountervailCorp.com]
Chip Stephens [203-856-5945, Chip@CountervailCorp.com]
INTRODUCTION My name is Fronya and I welcome you to the Rev. Abraham Levy Center. For those people who do not know me, I have an MA in Religious Studies. When I was studying, I was trained to suspend my own belief and accept each religion without any bias. So although I do belong to this congregation, today I am presenting Judaism as I was taught. I shall start by giving a talk on the religio
The online version of this article can be found at: can be found at: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Additional services and information for J O U R N A L O F T H E R O Y A L S O C I E T Y O F M E D I C I N EAnticholinergic side-effects of drugs in elderly peopleJacobo Mintzer MDOld age is accompanied by an increased likelihood of illness,Peters5 identi®ed 22 categori
Countervail Corporation 1 Greentree Center
DR. EDSON ALBUQUERQUE TO PRESENT RESEARCH DATA SUPPORTING