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INTRODUCTION: There is a limited array of currently available medicinals that are useful for either the prevention, mitigation or treatment of bodily injuries arising from ionizing radiation exposure. AREA COVERED: In this brief article, the authors review those pharmacologic agents that either are currently being used to counter the injurious effects of radiation exposure, or those that show promise and are currently under development. EXPERT OPINION: Although significant, but limited progress has been made in the development and fielding of safe and effective pharmacotherapeutics for select types of acute radiation-associated injuries, additional effort is needed to broaden the scope of drug development so that overall health risks associated with both short- and long-term injuries in various organ systems can be reduced and effectively managed. There are several promising radiation countermeasures which may gain regulatory approval from the government in the near future for use in clinical settings and in the aftermath of nuclear/radiological exposure contingencies.

Introduction: The global threat of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) disaster is an important priority for all government agencies involved in domestic security and public health preparedness. Radiological/nuclear (RN) attacks or accidents have become a larger focus of the United States Food and Drug administration (US FDA) over time because of their increased likeliness. Clinical signs and symptoms of a developing acute radiation syndrome (ARS) are grouped into three sub-syndromes named for the dominant organ system affected, namely the hematopoietic (H-ARS), gastrointestinal (GI-ARS), and neurovascular systems. The availability of safe and effective countermeasures against radiological/nuclear threats currently represents a significant unmet medical need.