Table 5.
Overview of antidotal therapy options for poisoning with selected CWAs (listed in the Annex on Chemicals of the Chemical Weapons Convention).
| CWA | Mechanism of Action of CWA | Antidote Type | Example, Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nerve agents | AChE inhibition | Functional | Atropine |
| Causal, AChE reactivator | Oximes (HI-6, pralidoxime) | ||
| Sulphur mustard | Cytostatic agent, alkylating agent | Not available | Supportive drugs only (sodium thiosulfate) |
| Lewisite | Alkylating agent, arsenic effect | Thiol groups | BAL (dimercaprol) |
| Hydrogen cyanide | Blockage of cellular respiration | Methemoglobin formation | Sodium nitrite |
| Conversion to thiocynates | Sodium thiosulfate | ||
| Formation of cyano-complexes | Hydroxocobalamin | ||
| Phosgene | Destruction of the pulmonary blood-brain barrier | Not available | Supportive drugs only |
| BZ | Anticholinergic effect | AChE inhibition | Physostigmine |
| Ricin | Inhibition of protein synthesis | Development in progress | Antitoxin (biotechnology) [71] |
| Saxitoxin | Sodium-ion channel blocking | Development in progress | 4-aminopyridine tested on animals [72] |