Pretreatment or post exposure treatment for exposure to a toxic substance by pulmonary delivery (inhaler) of a bioscavenger

Abstract

The present invention relates to a treatment by pulmonary delivery of bioscavengers to animals as an effective antidote to prevent toxicity produced by exposure of an animal to nerve agents and other toxic substances.

1 . A method for the treatment of an animal for exposure to a toxic substance which comprises administering by inhalation to the lungs of said animal an effective amount of a bioscavenger that prevents or eliminates the toxic effects of said toxic substance in said animal, wherein said toxic substance is an organophosphate or a drug. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  which comprises administering said bioscavenger to said animal prior to exposure to said toxic substance. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said bioscavenger is administered to said animal after exposure to said toxic substance. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said bioscavenger is delivered at a dose between 1 and 10 mg per Kg of body weight of said animal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said organophosphate comprises a nerve agent or a pesticide. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the animal is a human. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bioscavenger comprises an enzyme that is homologous to said animal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said drug is selected from the group consisting of cocaine, succinylcholine and heroin. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said bioscavenger is administered by inhalation in powder form or in liquid form. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said organophosphate is selected from the group consisting of sarin isopropyl-methylphosphonofluoridate), VX (ethyl-S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl-phosphano-thiolate), MEPQ (7-(methylethoxyphosphinyloxy)-1-methylquiolinium iodide), soman (pinacolylmethyl-phosphonofluoridate), DFP (diisopylfluorophosphate paraoxon), malathion and parathion. 
     
     
         13 .- 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said bioscavenger molecule is recombinant. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the recombinant bioscavenger is produced in vitro in mammalian or insect cells. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the recombinant bioscavenger is glycosylated. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the recombinant bioscavenger is made in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said recombinant bioscavenger is made in a transgenic plant. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said recombinant bioscavenger is made in a transgenic non-human animal. 
     
     
         22 .- 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , which further comprises administering with said bioscavenger a permeation enhancer. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the permeation enhancer is selected from the group consisting of oleic acid, dimethyl-b-cyclodextrin, citric acid and polyethylene glycol. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , which further comprises co-administration of an oxime, wherein the oxime reactivates said bioscavenger. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein said oxime is selected from the group consisting of 2-PAM, HI6, toxogonin, and TMB4. 
     
     
         37 . (canceled)