Emergent BioSolutions launches chemical warfare decontamination lotion to civilian market

Available now to the buying public is Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL) from Emergent BioSolutions, a lotion that protects human skin against chemical warfare agents (CWAs).

Specifically, RSDL, which was previously only available to the military, is a patented, broad-spectrum liquid decontamination lotion that removes or neutralizes chemical warfare agents or T-2 toxins from the skin, which is a person’s first line of defense against intentional or accidental exposure to CWAs like nerve agents and mustard gas.

“This is the company’s first direct-to-civilian product launch,” Sean Kirk, Emergent BioSolutions’ senior vice president of manufacturing operations, told Homeland Preparedness News. “The company considers preparedness for civilians just as important as it is for combat soldiers.”

In fact, Kirk, who is also the lead of the CMO and Devices business units of the company, said that the majority of the company’s products are rooted in preparedness. “It’s a concept that Emergent has focused on” during his 14 years with Emergent BioSolutions — eight spent working to help develop an anthrax vaccine — “our mission to protect and enhance life is cemented in that area.”

RSDL received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2003 for use by the U.S. military and prehospital health care personnel and is now also approved by the FDA for civilian use. The U.S. Department of Defense has been providing RSDL to active military ever since, Kirk said, and the department has deployed RSDL in more than 30 countries through a supply agreement with NATO.

RSDL must be applied to bare skin as soon as possible after a person has been exposed to a CWA. The person uses a sponge that comes in the RSDL kit and wipes the exposed skin with the lotion impregnated into the sponge, which removes the agents or the T-2 toxin. The product’s compounds react with the CWA, rapidly neutralizing them so they are nontoxic. The volume of RSDL lotion within each 21 mL packet is enough to decontaminate the average equivalent of the hands, neck, face, and inside surface of a respirator, if one is worn. The RSDL lotion must remain on skin for at least two minutes before it is removed and rinsed with water when safe conditions permit. Each packet is good for one use, then it is disposed.

Early and rapid skin decontamination is extremely important because it not only decreases serious systemic or dermal damage to patients, but also decreases the potential secondary toxic exposure to health care personnel, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Kirk explained that RSDL is FDA-approved and regulated to decontaminate against seven specific CWAs: soman, cyclohexyl sarin, sarin, tabun, VR, VX, and mustard gas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorize all seven as nerve agents, so called because they affect how nerve impulses are transmitted in the nervous system. When used as CWAs, these poisons may be inhaled, ingested or come into contact with a person’s eyes or skin to cause injury or death.

Kirk said Emergent BioSolutions is “serving an unmet need and advocating awareness for preparedness.” To speed up such preparedness, Emergent BioSolutions has made RSDL available on Amazon “because it provides us with the widest distribution channel,” he added.