Global healthcare company Grifols has partnered with BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, to develop the first immune therapy eye drops to prevent the long-term effects of exposure to sulfur mustard, commonly referred to as “the gas of mustard”.

Beginning with widespread use during World War I, sulfur mustard has had a long history of use as a chemical warfare agent. It burns the skin, is toxic to living cells, and is a strong vesicant, meaning it causes blisters to ooze. And exposure causes particularly nasty short- and long-term effects on the eyes.

Because sulfur mustard reacts with water, the constant wetness of the eye means that they are more sensitive to the agent than any other organ. Concentration and exposure time determine the degree of short-term vision loss, from simple conjunctivitis (“pink eye”) for one to two weeks to severe corneal damage with significant vision loss. (The cornea is the transparent layer of tissue that covers the front of the eye as a protective window.) However, ocular exposure to sulfur mustard can also produce long-term effects, including recurrent inflammation and erosion of the cornea.

There is no effective treatment for eye damage caused by sulfur mustard. However, Grifols, a global healthcare company and leading manufacturer of plasma-derived medicines, has partnered with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to test its innovative immunotherapy eye drops as a treatment for exposure to sulfur mustard.

axIts mission is to develop “medical countermeasures” to address the public health and medical consequences of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear accidents, incidents, and attacks. It does this by providing support for clinical and non-clinical studies.

Wikimedia Commons/Library and Archives Canada/C-080027

In March 2023, Grifols announced a collaboration with Selaginea University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) spin-out company focused on new therapies for eye disease to develop an ocular surface immunoglobulin (OSIG) ophthalmic drop to treat dry eye diseasethat is, when a person’s tears do not provide adequate lubrication to the eyes.

Immunoglobulins (Ig), also known as antibodies, are produced by white blood cells. Immunoglobulin therapy it is prepared from a pool of antibodies taken from the plasma of thousands of healthy donors. It can be used to stop a person’s immune system from mistakenly attacking their own body (ie, the treatment of autoimmune disorders) and to suppress harmful inflammation. It is usually injected into a vein, muscle or under the skin. OSIG eye drops developed by Grifols and UIC are currently in phase 2 clinical trials.

Through the partnership with BARDA, Grifols will investigate, through preclinical studies, how the anti-inflammatory properties of OSIG can be used to stop the immune system from attacking self-antigens, the receptors on the surface of cells that tell the immune system that the cell belongs to it. the body it protects, caused by exposure to sulfur mustard. If the drops can do this, they may reduce the likelihood of long-term eye damage.

“Grifols is applying its leadership in immunoglobulins, a powerful class of drugs with a unique mechanism of action, to develop safe, effective and readily available GI-based eye treatments to alleviate conditions that severely affect people’s vision and quality of life,” he Joerg said. Schuettrumf, Chief Scientific Innovation Officer of Grifols. “We continue to build an innovation pipeline focused on delivering more and better treatments for patients.”

While many countries, including the US, have eliminated their stockpiles of mustard agents, accidental exposure is still a concern, given that some of these stocks have ended up in the ocean.

Source: Grifols