Odyssey Health, Inc. announced the launch of a concept phase to develop an intra-nasal field-deliverable nerve agent antidote. Chemical warfare using organophosphate nerve agents is a threat worldwide. The risk could not be higher for civilians and military personnel operating in conflict areas like Ukraine.

Nerve agents kill brain cells leading to respiratory failure, seizures, and death within minutes of exposure. Odyssey's unique breath-propelled intranasal device is lightweight and easy to use. The drug-device combination is being developed to increase brain drug exposure in minutes.

The olfactory nerve used for the detection of smell provides a direct highway into the brain. Previous work in humans completed by Odyssey has shown that intranasal administration of spray-dried powders leads to low plasma concentrations compared to an intravenous route. This finding is highly suggestive that most of the drug of interest is entering the brain.

Oximes are an antidote for organophosphate nerve agents however the current application is through a skin auto- injector. These injectors can be painful, lend themselves to incomplete dosing and if used improperly can cause skin tissue death. More importantly, the injector does not target the brain and often requires multiple administrations over the first 24 hours after exposure to nerve agents to provide efficacy.

The projected benefits of the novel Oxime-Intranasal combination include almost immediate exposure of the Central Nervous System, enhanced brain cell protection with less drug required given the targeted approach, lower risk for infection with no injection site exposure, and a painless and complete dosing protocol. Millions of civilians are at risk for nerve gas exposure. The population of Ukraine alone is over 44 million people.

A safe and easy-to-administer antidote kept in the pocket is ideal to target the brain in minutes and reduce the risk of respiratory failure during an attack. Odyssey's unique breath-propelled device could solve a large preventive market and can help in biodefense throughout the world. The United States and other countries stockpile large amounts of antidote in case of emergency.