War Time Benefits of Razadyne (reminyl)

Nurses working with Alzheimer’s patients are used to giving the patients their Reminyl tables in accordance with the patient’s prescription each day. The nurses will most likely be oblivious to the fact that this medication is a powerful antidote for Sarin nerve gas. Sarin nerve gas has been used by terrorists in Japan. It was speculated that Iraq possessed a large supply of Sarin under the leadership of the late Saddam Hussein. Many other terrorist groups may have the ability to manufacture it.

Sarin nerve gas is a highly lethal organophosphate compound which can be used to kill and maim citizens and military. It was used by a Japanese terrorist group in a Tokyo subway bombing which resulted in tens of casualties during the morning peak hour. Organophosphates and other anticholinesterase agents are used extensively as pesticides. Hence, they pose a substantial occupational risk to humans and the environment due to their toxic properties.

The tensions are high again in the Middle East. There is no way of excluding the fact that one combatant or another may use a biological agent to achieve its end. Nurses will be pleased to note that Reminyl is able to block the toxic effects of this organophosphate. Similar benefits will be available to patients who consume pesticides by accident or by choice. Nurses are not authorised to stock or prescribe this medication but in a life or death situation there cannot be any harm in doing your best when everyone is falling.

Poisoning with organophosphorus (OP) compounds (Sarin nerve gas is just one example) is a severe problem which military personnel face each day. They must be prepared to deal with lethal doses of these compounds in chemical warfare situations and in civil situations like the one in Tokyo. The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defence and the Army Research and Material Command located in Maryland have just announced their results from experiments on guinea pigs which had been exposed to Sarin nerve gas. The results showed that guinea pigs which were given Reminyl and then exposed to Sarin nerve gas did not suffer the lethal consequences to that poison. Guinea Pigs which had been given a placebo did not have that protection and did suffer the consequences of poisoning with OP.

Conclusions: The scientists observed that Human serum butyrylcholinesterase (huBChE, EC 3.1.1.8) is a globular, tetrameric molecule with a molecular mass of ~340 kDa. They also noted that exogenous administration of huBChE was an effective and safe treatment for OP nerve agent toxicity. They found that the physiological function of huBChE was largely elusive i.e. it acted as a barrier between the body cells and the OP agent. It seemed that Razadyne was able to prevent soman, sarin and other organophosphates from penetrating the blood brain barrier.

Organocompounds like this are commonly used as pesticides

They also noted that it could hydrolyze many ester-containing drugs like cocaine and succinylcholine. Reminyl works by denying OP the membrane sites on which to bind.

Reminyl is a medication used for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The medication is chemically known as galatamine hydrobromide. It is used by about two million Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s. This drug belongs to a group of drugs known as “cholinesterase inhibitors” which is used to treat symptoms in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The new trade name for galatamine hydrobromide is Razadyne.

At this time Razadyne is not stocked on emergency trolleys. In the near future this may be one of the drugs used by our front line troops and our front line nurses.